Guest Blog Post By Dorothy Bloom Little
I am one of those “damn Yankees.” You know those Yankees who come here and stay. Being from Chicago I have always enjoyed the theatre and hoped that Birmingham would have some type of theatre district. My first experience with theatre in Birmingham was to see Wicked at the BJCC. It was a great performance, one of the many in the course of the musicals offered by the Birmingham Broadway series. After the performance at the BJCC, I attended performances at other theatres. I was totally hooked by the amazing local venues and the incredible performers. Red Mountain Theatre was a treat. The ambiance of a cabaret was delightful but what totally surprised me was the caliber of the actors. The local talent is terrific and the shows are great. Not only have I seen several performances there but I have also taken my grandchildren to the children’s theatrical productions. My granddaughter was enthralled as we sat front row center for one of the performances. Now she keeps asking, “Nana when are we going to that theatre again”.
Another venue I have gone to is the (TNT) Terrific New Theatre. Seeing a performance there is like seeing it while sitting in your living room. It is a small theatre with a big heart. Once again the local talent just blew me away. Actually as I discovered some other venues I have realized that Birmingham has some excellent actors. Musical, comedy, drama Birmingham folks can do it all and do it well. A couple of other theaters I have had the opportunity to visit are the beautiful new Jemison Concert Hall, the Virginia Samford Theatre and the Alys Stephens Center. I have yet to see the renovated Lyric Theatre, but I am looking forward to my first performance there.
I just could not finish this article without writing about what I consider to be a real gem, the Alabama Theatre. The charm of a previous era is everywhere. The entrance, the seats, the walls, the boxes, the lighting, even the ladies salon, which has red velvet lounges, all of it exudes elegance. As I walked into the theatre and looked around it reminded of a theatre in my hometown, the Chicago Theatre. Although, I must admit it surpassed the Chicago (dare I say it) because it has that awesome Wurlitzer organ. This Queen is the frosting on the cake of the theatres here. And to me the best is going to any performance and knowing that the actors will never disappoint. Kudos Alabama.
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