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The Michigan Theater
During the "roaring twenties" a successful immigrant businessman dreamed of building a grand vaudeville and movie palace in Ann Arbor. Angelo Poulos commissioned Detroit architect Maurice Finkel to design his dream. Finkel called it "a Shrine to Art. . . not built for today only, but constructed in the hopes that it might be a monument for years to come and a credit to the community even when the city is many times its present size." The W. S. Butterfield Company, which operated several motion picture and vaudeville theaters in the state of Michigan, managed the construction and furnishing of the Theater's interior. Dressing rooms, showers, and complete stage facilities accommodated live variety shows. The theater opened to the public on January 5, 1928.
Until the summer of 1929, the usual program of events at the Michigan Theater included vaudeville entertainment and silent films with live musical accompaniment from the fabulous Barton organ and Karl Weiderhold's eleven-piece orchestra. The introduction of "talkies" resulted in the disbanding of Karl Weiderhold's orchestra, brought about the final demise of vaudeville, and marked the beginning of Hollywood's Golden Age.
Throughout the 1930's and 1940's, the Michigan Theater was Ann Arbor's premiere showplace for live stage entertainment. National touring theater and opera companies, local community organizations and University of Michigan choristers and thespians regularly used the Michigan Theater stage. The largest audiences, however, came to see the movies, cinema classics like Gone With The Wind, Casablanca, Stagecoach, Bringing Up Baby, and The Sound Of Music.
During the 1950's and 1960's, the increasing popularity of television reduced the size of the filmgoing audience In 1956 the Butterfield Theater Company decided to "modernize" the Michigan Theater in an attempt to entice people away from their TV's. The intricate plaster work was covered by aluminum, polished marble, and a false ceiling. Until just recently, the unrestored area of the balcony still displayed the bizarre color scheme: dingy blue, dull ivory, battleship gray, and orange. The elegant chandeliers, fountains, and decorative sconces were removed and the elegant facade were covered over with steel and glass. Restoration of the balcony was completed in September of 2001.
Presenting a diverse program of quality specialty film is the Michigan Theater's primary programming mission. To fulfill community expectations for this program, the management saw the opportunity to incorporate into architect Frank's third capital improvement phase not only restoration, but expansion. The expansion includes a new screening room, concession area, restrooms, and office space. The screening room will allow the theater to expand upon the contemporary foreign, independent American and documentary films for which it is known by enabling it to secure films that require a run uninterrupted by evenings reserved for live events, to show popular films for longer runs, and to offer even more diverse films. Additional restrooms address complaints about the inadequacy, inconvenience, and inaccessibility of existing second-floor restrooms.
The Michigan Theater continues to be an important part of Ann Arbor's cultural fabric. Along with its role in presenting specialty films, is the home of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra's annual concert season and has been presenting the Not Just for Kids series of live-on-stage programs for children and families for a decade. The Michigan Theater remains "a Shrine to Art. . . and a credit to the community."
The 3/13 Barton Theater Pipe Organ in the Michigan Theater is one of only a handful of surviving original Theater Organs left in existence. Although over 7,000 of these instruments were installed in American movie palaces between 1915-1932, now fewer than 40 remain in their original homes. This is one of them.
The Michigan Theater is the only movie theater in the nation to currently employ a regular staff organist and now holds the record for the country's longest running regular live pre-show theater organ concert tradition.
In addition to the pre-show concerts played before feature films (Normally Wednesday through Sunday), the organ is used frequently for silent movies, pre show concerts and special live events by our staff and house organists.
For a complete list of times and performers at specific events, please visit the MI Theater online film calendar at michtheater.com
