1930's postcard image of the Birmingham
Designed by the famed architectural firm of Rapp & Rapp, construction on the Birmingham Theatre would begin in 1926, but delays due to a street-widening project for Woodward would delay finishing the project and keep potential patrons from visiting. It would finally open in 1927 as part of the Kunsky Theatre circuit, who opened two other nearby theaters that same year, the Redford (in the western edge of Detroit) and the Royal Oak.
The building had three floors, included a bowling alley, a billiard parlor, and retail and office spaces. Like many of the Rapp firm's theater designs, it was designed in the "French Renaissance" style, and had seating for over 1250 patrons in its auditorium.
When opened, it was done so as a "vaudeville theater", with live shows and a Barton Organ to accompany those shows.
The Barton Organ console at the Michigan Theatre, Ann Arbor, MI
One of the first changes with the Birmingham was the conversion to a Movie Venue by the late 1930s which would be it's main attraction for at least the next few decades.
By the 1960s, it was showing second-run films and the audiences were dwindling in numbers quickly, and the the theatre would close in the early part of the decade. There would be a change of ownership of the Birmingham where the United Detroit Theatres chain purchased it but nothing changed with the theatre.
1944 photo of the Birmingham Theatre
The theatre would be acquired by the Plitt Theatre chain but it would take a change in 1976 to see things happen again. A conversion and remodel at an estimated cost of $750,000 would see all traces of the original decor removed. This remodel installed new seating, curtains, lighting, and sound equipment. The Remodel did leave the facade intact as from it's original opening in the late 1920's but everything else was "new and improved".
View in the 1940's
The focus was now on Live Shows versus Films (although films were still shown) would breathe new life back into the Birmingham. Its first stage show, “Oh! Calcutta!,” opened in October 1977. In 1979, the Birmingham was leased to the Nederlander Theatrical Corporation and Broadway productions would then be staged there for several years.
Things would change again in the mid-1980s when the Birmingham would be "carved up" into a total of eight small theatres, each with their own screens. At this time, the focus returned to showing first-run features and films.
Recent Interior View of one of the screens with classic lighting decor installed.
Over the next 20 years, the theater featured a variety of films and shows but by the mid-90s, the theatre was in serious financial trouble and faced closure and probable demolition of the building itself. Luckily, Birmingham residents Carole and David Trepeck, along with their partner and Dallas resident Bill Herting, purchased the theater in early 1995 and gave it another extensive renovation again. This time, it would be converted into the cinema showcase that it is today.
Despite the theater portion of the facilities troubles, the retail spaces and offices have been consistently occupied by local businesses. One of the most famous occupants was CREEM Magazine — dubbed “America’s only rock ‘n’ roll magazine” — which occupied the entire second floor during the 1970s.
Recent photo
The Birmingham Theatre currently is an eight-screen movie house nestled in the heart of downtown Birmingham, Michigan. The Birmingham Theatre has been recognized architecturally for its design and layout by the American Institute of Architecture. Nowadays, The Birmingham Theatre features state-of-the-art amenities, including the highest quality projection equipment, stadium seating, high-back reclining seats, Dolby Digital sound systems and super-size screens.
