Lyric Theater (Miami, Florida)
Encyclopedia
The Lyric Theater is a historic theater
in Miami, Florida
. It is located at 819 Northwest Second Avenue. On January 4, 1989, it was added to the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places
.
Opening in 1913, the Lyric Theater quickly became a major entertainment center for blacks in Miami. The 400-seat theater was built, owned and operated by Geder Walker, a black man from Georgia. In 1915, The Miami News
described the Lyric Theater as, "possibly the most beautiful and costly playhouse owned by Colored people in all the Southland
." The Lyric Theater served as a symbol of black economic influence, as well as a social gathering place free of discrimination. It was a source of pride and culture within Overtown.
The theater anchored the district known as "Little Broadway," an area alive with hotels, restaurants and nightclubs frequented by both black and white tourists and residents. Clyde Killens, a local resident and entertainment promoter, was primarily responsible for bringing black entertainers—who could perform in the clubs on Miami Beach but not stay in the hotels—to Overtown, the Lyric Theater and "Little Broadway." Little Broadway's roster of stars was spectacular, featuring such performers as Count Basie
, Sam Cooke
, Aretha Franklin
, Celia Cruz
, B.B. King, Patti LaBelle
, Ella Fitzgerald
, Redd Foxx
and Mary Wells
.
Patterns of entertainment changed at the same time as Overtown's population and businesses began to decline in the 1960s. The Lyric Theater closed and has remained shuttered for four decades.
However, In 2007, during the Art Basel festival season, POPtv / nonradioMusic Studio Lab Project presented "AAPC+Overtown, a Snapshot of the Golden Age of American Music" with dei7 featuring Derin Young at the Lyric Theater in Overtown. This multimedia performance piece celebrated individual Overtown residents (through audio interviews and video content) and celebrated the existence of various artists who contributed to the rich cultural history of Overtown. Features included special segments highlighting Sammy Davis, Jr., music and video from various performers, including Sam and Dave, Nat King Cole and Dinah Washington as well as music from contemporary composers, including Derin Young and visual imagery from R.M. Crews who form the nucleus of the Studio-Lab Project.
Theater (structure)
A theater or theatre is a structure where theatrical works or plays are performed or other performances such as musical concerts may be produced. While a theater is not required for performance , a theater serves to define the performance and audience spaces...
in Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. It is located at 819 Northwest Second Avenue. On January 4, 1989, it was added to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
The Miami News
The Miami News was the dominant evening newspaper in Miami, Florida for most of the 20th century, its chief concurrent competitor being the morning-edition of The Miami Herald. The paper started publishing in May 1896 as a weekly called The Miami Metropolis. The Metropolis had become a daily paper...
described the Lyric Theater as, "possibly the most beautiful and costly playhouse owned by Colored people in all the Southland
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
." The Lyric Theater served as a symbol of black economic influence, as well as a social gathering place free of discrimination. It was a source of pride and culture within Overtown.
The theater anchored the district known as "Little Broadway," an area alive with hotels, restaurants and nightclubs frequented by both black and white tourists and residents. Clyde Killens, a local resident and entertainment promoter, was primarily responsible for bringing black entertainers—who could perform in the clubs on Miami Beach but not stay in the hotels—to Overtown, the Lyric Theater and "Little Broadway." Little Broadway's roster of stars was spectacular, featuring such performers as Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
, Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
, Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz was a Cuban-American salsa singer, and was one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, having earned twenty-three gold albums...
, B.B. King, Patti LaBelle
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
, Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
, Redd Foxx
Redd Foxx
John Elroy Sanford , better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American comedian and actor, best known for his starring role on the sitcom Sanford and Son.-Early life:...
and Mary Wells
Mary Wells
Mary Esther Wells was an American singer who helped to define the emerging sound of Motown in the early 1960s...
.
Patterns of entertainment changed at the same time as Overtown's population and businesses began to decline in the 1960s. The Lyric Theater closed and has remained shuttered for four decades.
However, In 2007, during the Art Basel festival season, POPtv / nonradioMusic Studio Lab Project presented "AAPC+Overtown, a Snapshot of the Golden Age of American Music" with dei7 featuring Derin Young at the Lyric Theater in Overtown. This multimedia performance piece celebrated individual Overtown residents (through audio interviews and video content) and celebrated the existence of various artists who contributed to the rich cultural history of Overtown. Features included special segments highlighting Sammy Davis, Jr., music and video from various performers, including Sam and Dave, Nat King Cole and Dinah Washington as well as music from contemporary composers, including Derin Young and visual imagery from R.M. Crews who form the nucleus of the Studio-Lab Project.