View source for Fox Theater (Spokane, Washington)

{{Short description|Performing arts venue and former movie theater in Spokane, Washington, US}}
{{Other uses|Fox Theatre (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox venue
| name                   = Fox Theater
| nickname               = 
| native_name            = 
| native_name_lang       = 
| fullname               = Martin Woldson Theater at the FOX
| former names           = 
| logo_image             = 
| logo_caption           = 
| image                  = Fox Theater, Sprague Avenue and Monroe Street, Spokane, WA - 53793198674.jpg
| image_size             = 
| image_alt              = 
| caption                = Fox Theater in 2023
| pushpin_map            = 
| pushpin_mapsize        = 
| pushpin_map_caption    = Fox Theater
| pushpin_label_position = left
| address                = 1001 W. Sprague Ave.
| city                   = [[Spokane, Washington]]
| coordinates            = {{coord|47|39|25|N|117|25|36|W|display=inline,title}}
| type                   = Theatre
| genre                  = Concerts, movies, theatre
| broke_ground           = 
| built                  = 
| opened                 = {{Start date and age|1931|09|03}}
| renovated              = November 2007
| closed                 = 
| owner                  = [[Spokane Symphony]]
| operator               = Spokane Symphony
| surface                = 
| cost                   = {{unbulleted list |{{USD|1|labels=no}}&nbsp;million (1931) |{{USD|31|labels=no}}&nbsp;million (2007) }}
| architect              = [[Robert C. Reamer]]
| project_manager        = 
| structural engineer    = 
| services engineer      = 
| general_contractor     = 
| main_contractors       = 
| seating_type           = 
| capacity               = 1,715
| suites                 = 
| record_attendance      = 
| dimensions             = 
| field_shape            = 
| acreage                = 
| volume                 = 
| tenants                = Spokane Symphony
| embedded               =
{{Infobox NRHP
| embed           = yes
| name            = 
| nrhp_type       = 
| image           = 
| caption         = 
| location        = 
| nearest_city    = 
| area            = 
| built           = 1931
| architect       = Robert C. Reamer
| architecture    = Art Deco
| added           = November 30, 2001
| visitation_num  = 
| visitation_year = 
| refnum          = 01001287
| mpsub           = Movie Theaters in Washington State MPS
}}
| website                = {{URL|www.foxtheaterspokane.com}}
| publictransit          = [[Spokane Transit Authority]]
<br />'''Bus''': [[List of Spokane Transit Authority bus routes|Routes]]: 6,20,43,60,61,66<ref>{{cite web |title=STA System Map |publisher=Spokane Transit Authority |url=https://www.spokanetransit.com/routes-schedules/sta-system-map |format=PDF|access-date = January 8, 2022}}</ref>
}}
The '''Fox Theater''' in [[Spokane, Washington]] is a 1931 [[Art Deco]] movie theater that now serves as a performing arts venue and home of the Spokane Symphony. It was designed by architect [[Robert Reamer|Robert C. Reamer]], notable for his design of the [[Old Faithful Inn]] in [[Yellowstone National Park]]. It was part of the [[Fox Film|Fox Film Corporation]] Empire founded by studio mogul [[William Fox (producer)|William Fox]]. The theater opened September 3, 1931, and showed films continuously until it closed September 21, 2000, after an engagement of the movie ''[[Gladiator (2000 film)|Gladiator]]'' starring [[Russell Crowe]].

==History==
[[File:Spokane - Fox Theatre - 20200910141657.jpg|thumb|left|Fox Theater [[Marquee (structure)|marquee]]]]

===Planning and construction===
In 1927 rumors began circulating that [[William Fox (producer)|William Fox]]'s expanding [[20th Century Studios|Fox Film Corporation]] was to build a "million dollar [[movie palace]]" in downtown Spokane when an agent of the West Coast Company purchased 2/3 of the city block abutting Sprague Avenue and Monroe Street.<ref name=NRHPNom/><ref name="history">{{Cite web| title=Fox Theatre (Spokane)| publisher=HistoryLink| url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8631| date=July 2, 2008| author=Jim Kershner| accessdate=2011-02-25}}</ref><ref name=historical>{{cite web| last = Harbine| first = Anna| title = The Fox Theater| publisher = Spokane Historical| url = https://spokanehistorical.org/items/show/283| access-date = November 11, 2021}}</ref> The area was already home to a wide variety of theaters at the time but the area lacked a theater from a major motion picture house and distributor.<ref name=NRHPNom/>''[[The Spokesman-Review]]'' published initial depictions of the proposed atmospheric theater, which was designed in a [[Mediterranean Revival architecture|"Hispano-Italian"]] architectural style by [[John Eberson]].<ref name=historical/><ref name=NRHPNom/> However, the project was delayed because of the financial difficulties of [[Fox Film|Fox Film Corporation]] after the [[Wall Street Crash of 1929|1929 stock market crash]] and the company’s subsequent reorganization as Fox West Coast Studios. At the time, no construction had commenced other than cleaning and clearing the work site.<ref name="history"/><ref name=NRHPNom/> The site of the theater was to be on the southeast corner of [[Sprague Avenue (Spokane, Washington)|Sprague Avenue]] and Monroe Street where Louie Adams' old beer parlor had been located.<ref>{{cite web| last = Quinn| first = Molly| title = Historical theaters in Spokane| newspaper = The Spokesman-Review| date = February 2, 2018| url = https://www.spokesman.com/galleries/2018/feb/02/historical-theaters-in-spokane/| access-date = October 5, 2022}}</ref> When Fox took over the companies operations in 1928, he reiterated support for the motion picture project in Spokane in several press releases in 1928 and 1929, including renderings of a new design, but the site remained vacant.<ref name=NRHPNom/> Behind the scenes however, Fox West Coast Theater Corporation had set aside funding worth $15 million dollars for new expansion projects and in late 1929 hired [[Robert Reamer]] as architect to work on the Spokane project and releasing another rendering of the theater in the Spokesman-Review on January 5, 1930.<ref name=NRHPNom/> Reamer's previous theater work included the [[5th Avenue Theatre]] in Seattle and the [[Mount Baker Theatre]] in Bellingham, Washington and the design in the newspaper resembled the latter.<ref name=NRHPNom/> Reamer is also notable for his design of the [[Old Faithful Inn]] in [[Yellowstone National Park]].<ref name="history" /> The Spokane firm, [[Whitehouse & Price]] were brought on as associate architects and Los Angeles interior designer, [[Anthony Heinsbergen]] was retained to work on the interior of the theater.<ref name="history" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/862|title=Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox in Spokane, WA - Cinema Treasures}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ehdWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=F-MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5511%2C588603 |title=Artistic Work on Fox Theater |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=17 August 1931 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015}}</ref> A final rendering of the new theater was released in the July 1, 1930 edition of the [[Spokane Daily Chronicle]] showing a more "modernistic" Art Deco design that was becoming increasingly popular at the time and represented a sharp departure from the revivalist designs shown to the public in all previous press releases.<ref name=NRHPNom/>

Construction finally started in early 1930 and employed 200 people;<ref name=historical/> the structures footprint, which included attached retail spaces, occupied the majority of a city block and was constructed using poured concrete.<ref name=DAHP>{{cite web| title = Historic Theatres: Statewide Survey and Physical Needs Assessment| publisher = Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation| url = https://dahp.wa.gov/sites/default/files/theater%20survey.pdf| access-date = October 2, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1338&dat=19310619&id=l9FYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0_QDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7428,4383008&hl=en|title= Now Rent Stores in Fox Structure|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date= Jun 19, 1931|newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |accessdate=October 2, 2022}}</ref><ref name=NRHPNom/> All the exterior façades and trim on the rectangular-shaped building are concrete and were poured and completed in ten days using innovative construction techniques. On the exterior of the building are incised [[Relief#Low relief or bas-relief|bas-relief]] ornamentation, with stylized eagles on its Sprague Avenue façade and butterflies fronting Monroe Street.<ref name=NRHPNom/> During the Depression Era, a move to the Art Deco style was seen as a more cost effective way to decorate the building by reducing construction costs from expensive plasterwork and fixtures associated with a revivalist architectural style.<ref name=NRHPNom/> The budget for the project had been reduced to $750,000, which showed up in the form of a more simple and boxy exterior shell and a lobby with less ornamentation than in the designs shown in the newspaper.<ref name=NRHPNom/>

Heinsbergen's decorations and interior appointments were a fusion of the rectangular angles associated with the Art Deco movement and the classical flowing style of [[Art Nouveau]].<ref name=start>{{cite web| last = Prager| first = Mike| title = From a $2,500 start, the restored Fox theater was brought back from the brink| newspaper = Spokesman-Review| date = October 29, 2017| url = https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/oct/29/from-a-2500-start-the-restored-fox-theater-was-bro/| access-date = November 11, 2021}}</ref> The Spokane Fox theaters motif is derived from a Hollywood interpretation of art deco, which was a synthesis of the modernist and art nouveau movements of Europe in the late 1800s.<ref name=reno>{{cite news |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2005/nov/21/fox-closes-its-curtains-for-major-renovations/|title=Fox closes its curtains for major renovations |author=Prager, Mike |date=21 November 2005 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref><ref name=start/> Based on the buildings use of geometry, symmetry, style and use of abstract art, the theater is also said to derive influence from the [[Cubism]] and [[Fauvism]] styles as well as [[Iranian architecture|Persian]] and other exotic architectural styles.<ref name=NRHPNom/>

{{multiple image |total_width=300
 | align = left
 | perrow = 2
 | image1 = Fox Theater (Spokane, WA) (2877653921).jpg
 | image2 = Fox Theater (Spokane, WA) (2878495236).jpg
 | footer = The Grand Lobby and its stairway glass panels are adorned with underwater flora
}}

The carpeting represents the ocean and the first floor and lobby signify an underwater seascape while the second floor and balcony illustrates treetops, and the roof has ornamentation representing celestial bodies.<ref name="inspiration"/> Heinsbergen's work in the theater represents two mural styles, with more elaborate three-dimensional imagery and the more artistic and simplistic two-dimensional designed murals and have been said to evoke children's book illustrations of the time.<ref name=NRHPNom/> The centerpiece of the theaters interior was a {{convert|60|ft|adj=on}} wide light fixture made of etched glass and plaster in the shape of a sunburst,<ref name="history"/><ref name=Wilbur/> it was accompanied by nine smaller chandeliers representing the stars of the universe.<ref name=renovating/> 

As a movie palace built at the end of the [[vaudeville]] and [[silent film]] era, it was designed to accommodate live stage acts in addition to movies.<ref name=DAHP/><ref name="history"/> The theater was outfitted with a movie screen, a full height  [[proscenium]] [[Stage (theatre)|stage]], stage house, [[orchestra pit]], and dressing rooms, [[fly system]], and Wurlitzer pipe organ.<ref name=renovating/><ref name="history"/> From the entrance, the theater has two lobbies on opposite ends of the building which lead to ornately decorated hallways that provide access to the auditorium's main floor, halfway down the hallway and opposite to the main floor entrance is an exit to a pair of grand staircases that provides access to the [[mezzanine]] and balcony levels.<ref name=DAHP/>

The buildings cost of construction was popularly publicized as being {{USD|1000000|1931|round=-5|labels=yes}},<ref name="history"/> with actual cost estimates at the projects completion being placed at {{USD|350000|1931|round=-5|labels=yes}} for the land, {{USD|400000|1931|round=-5|labels=yes}} for construction, and {{USD|200000|1931|round=-5|labels=yes}} for equipment and furnishings.<ref name=NRHPNom/> Upon completion, executives at Fox told reporters the theater as the most artistic and modern theater in the Fox Theater chain.<ref name="history"/>

===Grand opening and first decades===
[[File:SpokaneFoxTheaterBalcony.jpg|thumb|left|The restored art deco interior designed by [[Anthony Heinsbergen]]]]
The Fox Theater opened with seating for 2,350 patrons (1,450 on the ground floor and 900 in the balcony)<ref name=Wilbur>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sRlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GOMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3919%2C643254 |title=Fox Theater Is Last Word in Beauty and Efficiency |author=Hindley, Wilbur W. |date=3 September 1931 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref> on September 3, 1931. [[Anita Page]], [[Mitzi Green]], [[George O'Brien (actor)|George O'Brien]], [[Victor McLaglen]] and [[El Brendel]] attended the opening performance gala.<ref name="flom">{{cite web| url=http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=5269| title=The Fox Theatre in Spokane opens on September 3, 1931| author=Eric L. Flom| publisher=HistoryLink.org| accessdate=2011-02-25| date=February 22, 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sRlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GOMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3918%2C646752 |title="Big Shots" of Screenland Here "in Person" Open Fox |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=3 September 1931 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref> A crowd of onlookers estimated to be as much as 20,000 people crowded the streets outside the theater to see a free of charge outside show and catch a glimpse of the celebrities in attendance as they were escorted from the [[The Davenport Hotel (Spokane, Washington)|Davenport Hotel]].<ref name="history"/><ref name=Wilbur/> The public was surprised at the sight of the buildings sleek modern art deco exterior, which was in stark contrast to the Italianate renderings that were shown in the Spokesman-Review in years prior.<ref name=historical/> The interior decorations were singled out for praise in contemporary newspaper accounts.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eRdWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=F-MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6690%2C173686 |title=Interior Decoration Adds Beauty to New Fox Theater in Spokane |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=16 August 1931 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref> Wilbur Hindley at the Spokesman-Review commented that the design was "so unusual, so bizarre and so futuristic that the casual passerby catches his breath in surprise and wonder;" the design utilized aluminum and glass as opposed to the traditional marble and wood in the interior décor, which included embellishments like hand painted murals of undersea plants and etched glass light panels.<ref name=Wilbur/><ref>{{cite web| last = Moltafet| first = Shafiq| title = Spokane Symphony celebrates 90th anniversary of Fox Theater| newspaper = | date = September 3, 2021| url = https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/sep/03/spokane-symphony-celebrates-90th-anniversary-of-fo/| access-date = August 30, 2021}}</ref>

The Fox opened with a live production of [[Fanchon and Marco]]'s ''About Town'' variety show<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sRlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GOMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3926%2C644985 |title=Fanchon & Marco's First Bill is "About Town" Idea |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=3 September 1931 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref> followed by the film ''[[Merely Mary Ann]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sRlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GOMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2966%2C644697 |title=Screen Lovers on Fox Screen |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=3 September 1931 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref> Ticket holders also got to see acts by [[Laurel and Hardy]] and a performance by the Fox Theater Orchestra.<ref name="history"/>  This mix of alternating traditional [[vaudeville]] style live entertainment and trendy Hollywood [[Sound film|talkies]] was part of the theaters initial long-term business strategy and reflected the evolving tastes of the public.<ref name="history"/> Movies had become a low cost [[Escapism|escape]] from the challenges of the [[Great Depression]].<ref name=reno/><ref name=historical/> The variety shows were phased out after a couple years owing to the public favoring movies over stage productions, but the Fox continued to show live performances as it remained the primary performing arts venue in Spokane for its first few decades.<ref name="history"/>

The theater began hosting its long running "Community Concerts" performances in 1934 which would bring in nationally touring musicians to the Fox and in 1935 it staged a performance by the [[Hoboken Four]] which included [[Frank Sinatra]].<ref name="history"/><ref name=journey>{{cite web|author=<!--staff writer(s); no by-line-->| title = Fox facts: A journey through the years| newspaper = The Spokesman-Review| date = November 11, 2007| url = https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2007/nov/11/fox-facts-a-journey-through-the-years/| access-date = November 5, 2022}}</ref> In 1937, one of Spokane's most famous residents, [[Bing Crosby]] hosted a national talent show at the Fox.<ref name="history"/>

In film, the theater showed Disney's box-office record breaking film ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'', setting a 7-day attendance record with 40,000 admissions in 1938;<ref name=journey/> which was quickly outdone in 1939 by ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'', which would stand until 1943 when a showing of the musical ''[[This Is the Army]]'' surpassed it.<ref name="history"/>

===Multiplex and decline===
The theater added a bigger screen, 3-D effects, and a [[CinemaScope]] projector in 1953, then showing its first 3-D film, [[Bwana Devil]] later that year.<ref name="inspiration"/><ref name="history"/>

The [[Wurlitzer]] 3-manual, 13-rank [[theatre organ]] installed when the building was constructed in 1931 was removed in 1961.<ref name="pstos">{{cite web| title=Fox Theatre| publisher=Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society| url= http://www.pstos.org/instruments/wa/spokane/fox.htm| date=May 2000| accessdate=2011-02-25}}</ref> In May of that year, the Fox Theater sold it to a Los Angeles-area collector, who disassembled it and had it shipped to [[California]], the process of dismantling the organ took approximately one week.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QAozAAAAIBAJ&sjid=w-cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6646%2C2562780 |title=Spokane Theater Organ Era Ends |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=23 October 1961 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref> Starting in 1968, the theater began to augment its motion picture programming with live performances by the Spokane Symphony, which became a tenant in the building until 1974 when they moved to the newly built [[First Interstate Center for the Arts|Spokane Opera House]].<ref name="flom"/><ref name=inspiration/> A new sound shell was installed for the symphony.<ref name=journey/> Not long after in 1969, the theater discontinued its long running Community Concerts series that it had hosted since 1934 that had brought in many big names over the years such as [[Vladimir Horowitz]], [[Yehudi Menuhin]], [[Marian Anderson]], [[Arthur Rubinstein]], [[Rudolf Serkin]], [[Jascha Heifetz]], [[Glenn Gould]], [[Isaac Stern]], and [[Leontyne Price]].<ref name="history"/> The Fox Theater subdivided its main screen and opened as a three-screen complex (with one main screen downstairs and two balcony screens upstairs) on 14 November 1975.<ref name="flom"/><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19751115&id=8u9LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=be0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7273,5969149 |title=Fox Theater opens as triplex |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=15 November 1975 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref> In 1989, the theater began showing second-run movies<ref name=LastPic>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cWRWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RPIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5406%2C880950 |title=It's last picture show for the Fox |author=Brunt, Jonathan |date=22 September 2000 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref> at {{USD|1|1989|round=0|labels=no}} per ticket.<ref name="refurbishing">{{cite news |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/1996/dec/08/refurbishing-the-fox-after-falling-into-a-state/ |title=Refurbishing The Fox After Falling Into A State Of Disrepair, A Grand Old Spokane Landmark Gets Spruced Up |author=Kershner, Jim |date=8 December 1996 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=18 January 2015 }}</ref> Nine chandeliers were removed from the ceiling to accommodate the change.<ref name=renovating/> 

When [[Regal Cinemas]] built the new 12-screen megaplex at [[NorthTown Mall (Spokane, Washington)|NorthTown Mall]], it sold half of its eight Spokane theaters, including the Fox.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=R1hjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QfIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5935%2C3840788 |title=Curtains are closing on small theaters |author=Cannata, Amy |date=14 June 2000 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref> The final movie, a screening of ''Gladiator'', was shown on September 21, 2000, and a small ceremony before the showing marked the sale of the theater to the Spokane Symphony, where representatives of Regal Cinemas and the Spokane Symphony exchanged a symbolic $1.3 million check for the keys to the theater.<ref name=LastPic />

[[Michelle Obama]], wife of the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee [[Barack Obama]] held a rally campaigning for her husband's presidential campaign on February 8, 2008.<ref name="blog">{{cite news| title=Campaigns Swinging through Spokane| publisher=SpokesmanReview.com| author=Jim Camden| date=February 8, 2008| work=The (Spokane) Spokesman-Review| accessdate=2011-02-25| url=http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=13534}}</ref><ref name="inspiration"/>

===Fundraising and restoration===
[[File:Fox Theater (Spokane, WA) (2877656955).jpg|thumb|The centerpiece 350-light and 60-foot-wide sunburst chandelier above the stage]]
The adjacent Spokane Club sought to purchase and demolish the building to build a parking garage.<ref name=parking>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=20000531&id=MGVWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=X_IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4990,4614425 |title=Club drops plan to buy Fox Theater |author=Cannata, Amy |date=31 May 2000 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref> Although the club had entered into negotiations with the then-owners, Regal Cinemas, they had not signed a contract and the Club dropped its plans to purchase the theater and supported the Spokane Symphony's bid when they learned they were interested in the site for a concert hall.<ref name=parking/> The theater was saved when the [[Spokane Symphony]] signed a contract to purchase it for {{USD|1.1|labels=no}}&nbsp;million in June 2000.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TFhjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QfIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3380%2C8911436 |title=Symphony signs to buy theater |author=Cannata, Amy |date=19 June 2000 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TFhjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QfIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6779%2C9067321 |title=Spokane Symphony signs deal to buy Fox Theater|author=Cannata, Amy |date=19 June 2000 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015|page=A12}}</ref> Once the Symphony determined whether the renovations were feasible and the funds could be raised,<ref name=SymphonySubmitsBid>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=20000519&id=QrIyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N_IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2779,7038753 |title=Symphony submits bid for Fox in effort to save it |author=Cannata, Amy |date=19 May 2000 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref> it began an extensive "Save the Fox" fund raising campaign to raise the budget needed for restoration.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TVhjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QfIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5741%2C9268380 |title=Fixing the Fox |author=Cannata, Amy |date=20 June 2000 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref> Myrtle Woldson gifted the campaign $1 million and then followed that up with a challenge to [[Matching funds|match]] a $2 million donation.<ref name=start/> About a quarter of the restoration funds were raised from federal and state sources, $8 million from various programs including a [[Save America's Treasures]] grant and $2.5 million allocated from the Washington state legislature.<ref name=DeseretNews>{{cite web| last = | first = | title = Spokane theater returns to glory days| newspaper = Deseret News| date = December 2, 2007| url = https://www.deseret.com/2007/12/3/20056899/spokane-theater-returns-to-glory-days| access-date = September 20, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = Fox Theater, Washington| publisher = National Park Service| url = https://www.nps.gov/articles/fox-theater-wa.htm| access-date = September 26, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JWlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9vIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4819%2C1276814 |title=Construction budget omits WSU project |author=Roesler, Richard |date=23 April 2005 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| author = <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->| title = Fox Theater receives $1 million donation| newspaper = Spokane Journal of Business| date = July 7, 2005| url = http://www.spokanejournal.com/index.php?id=eupdate&sub=284| access-date = October 12, 2022| archive-date = January 7, 2006| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060107085448/http://www.spokanejournal.com/index.php?id=eupdate&sub=284| url-status = bot: unknown}}</ref> Prominent architectural features were renamed in honor of significant donors.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2007/feb/25/board-stays-foxy-about-new-name/ |title=Board stays foxy about new name |author=Stucke, John |date=25 February 2007 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref> The theater dedicates a "Walk of Stars" along [[Sprague Avenue (Spokane, Washington)|Sprague Avenue]] and Monroe Street to acknowledge the donations and contributions of those who support the theater and symphony.<ref name="inspiration">{{cite web| last = | first = | title = The Fox: An Inspiration for Music| newspaper = The Spokesman-Review| date = October 25, 2017| url = https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/oct/25/fox-inspiration-music/| access-date = September 20, 2022}}</ref> The theater was placed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on November 30, 2001.<ref name=NRHPNom>{{cite web| title = Fox Theater| publisher = City - County of Spokane Historic Preservation Office| url = https://properties.historicspokane.org/property/?PropertyID=1803| access-date = September 20, 2022}}</ref>

The restoration designer was [[NAC Architecture]] of Spokane and the contractor on the project was Walker Construction of Spokane.<ref name=reno/> Restorers catalogued, cleaned, painted, and re-created lost architectural details and lighting fixtures.<ref name=reno/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2005/apr/08/bringing-back-the-fox/ |title=Bringing back The Fox |author=Millsap, Cheryl-Anne |date=8 April 2005 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2006/may/10/fox-is-an-art-deco-archetype/ |title=Fox is an art-deco archetype |author=Prager, Mike |date=10 May 2006 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref><ref name=renovating>{{cite news |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2006/jul/20/renovating-beauty/ |title=Renovating beauty |author=Prager, Mike |date=20 July 2006 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref> Some external building modifications were made during the renovation. A donation of vacant land by the [[Cowles Company|Cowles family]] allowed the stage area to be enlarged on the west side of the theater and a new concrete bulwark was erected there and a refabricated vertical marquee was created to sit atop the building.<ref name=start/> The original [[proscenium]] stage was converted to a [[thrust stage]].<ref name=DAHP/>

Internally, partitions that were installed in 1975 which converted the theater into a multiplex were removed and the creation of an inner lobby reduced the seating from 2,350 to 1,727 and a hole had to be cut into the buildings south face to allow the installation of new steel structural beams into the attic to support the equipment required for modern amenities.<ref name=start/><ref name=renovating/> Restoration specialists from [[EverGreene Architectural Arts]] were brought on to restore Heinsbergen's interior designs as well as the sunburst and chandelier light fixtures.<ref name=start/> Upgrades to the theater included installing [[Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning|heating and air conditioning systems]] and [[soundproofing]] the venue to make the [[acoustics]] suitable for a symphony.<ref name=start/> The buildings original glass work was cleaned and some replicated using relearned techniques; the metal framework in the [[Leadlight|leaded glass]] in the building was replaced using a shiny and reflective [[zinc]] to maintain an art deco aesthetic.<ref name=start/>

The total cost of the renovations was $31 million and it was completed in November 2007.<ref name=Prager10>{{cite news |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/oct/19/fox-theater-restoration-be-recognized-nationally/ |title=Fox Theater restoration to be recognized nationally |author=Prager, Mike |date=19 October 2010 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref> The project later received a national preservation award in 2010 by the [[National Trust for Historic Preservation]].<ref name=start/><ref name=Prager10/>

The theater was renamed the '''Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox''' in honor of Myrtle Woldson's railroad pioneer father, who contributed $3 million towards the renovations.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gGlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RfMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2120%2C1116181 |title=Fox Theater benefactor's identity revealed |author=Prager, Mike |date=22 March 2007 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref>

It re-opened as the home of the [[Spokane Symphony]] on November 17, 2007,<ref name=Prager10 /> presided over by Washington Governor [[Christine Gregoire]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2007/nov/18/a-showplace-shines/ |title=A Showplace shines |author=Craig, John |date=18 November 2007 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref> The re-opening included a special celebration featuring a performance by [[Tony Bennett]] on November 19, 2007.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2007/nov/11/fox-line-forms-here/ |title=Fox Line forms here |author=Kershner, Jim |date=11 November 2007 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |accessdate=19 January 2015 }}</ref> The meticulous restoration was documented in the [[KSPS-TV]] film "Spokane's 21st Century Fox".

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.foxtheaterspokane.com/ Official Website]
*[https://www.pbs.org/video/ksps-documentaries-spokanes-21st-century-fox/ PBS Documentary "Spokane's 21st Century Fox"]
*[http://www.spokesman.com/video/2007/nov/19/fox-theater-grand-opening/Video: Spokesman-Review picture slideshow of the Fox Theater Grand Opening]


{{National Register of Historic Places in Washington}}
{{Spokane}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Art Deco architecture in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Art Deco cinemas and movie theaters]]
[[Category:Cinemas and movie theaters in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Spokane, Washington]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Spokane County, Washington]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Spokane, Washington]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Spokane, Washington]]
[[Category:Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Theatres completed in 1931]]
[[Category:Robert Reamer buildings]]