Theatre Info

 

The Fabulous Fox Theatre

“No longer need residents of St. Louis look beyond their own city for the finest in entertainment.”

This statement was coined by the William Fox Circuit of Theatres, and it still holds true today as the Fabulous Fox Theatre presents the ‘Best of Broadway’ in St. Louis. More than 15 million people have passed through the brass doors of the Fox to see Broadway shows, Vegas performers, top pop, rock and comedy concert acts, and classic movies.

A Fabulous History

The Fox Theatre has a fabulous history, beginning when the theatre opened on January 31, 1929 as one of the crown jewels in William Fox’s motion picture empire. Billed as “St. Louis’ largest and most magnificent temple of amusement,” the theatre anchored St. Louis’ entertainment area along North Grand Boulevard. For 50 cents, a person could experience splendor and enchantment of regal edifice, complete with live entertainment, music from two organs, Fox Movietone News, and of course, the “talkie.” “We don’t sell tickets to movies, we sell tickets to theaters,” is a remark attributed to Marcus Loew, which reflects the elaborate nature, size and decoration of the Fox Theatre and other movie palaces of that era.

Renovation and Restoration

After dazzling and delighting millions of people for nearly 50 years with films, stage shows, concerts, radio shows, special events and world premieres, the theatre closed in 1978. In 1981 the Fox was privately purchased by Fox Associates and an incredible one-year restoration project was launched, bringing the Siamese-Byzantine splendor of the Fox back to life. The Fabulous Fox reopened its doors with the musical “Barnum” on September 7, 1982 to a capacity crowd of 4,500. The meticulous restoration of the Fox was recognized by The National Trust of Historical Preservation with a 1983 National Trust Honor Award. Today, the Fabulous Fox proudly presents something for everyone; over 200 performances and special events take place annually at the Fox, with the nation’s top entertainers and productions appearing on the Fox stage.