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Lynchburg Vaudeville Space Restored to 1912 Form, Reopens in December

Academy Center of the Arts

Lynchburg is about a month from opening a performance arts and cultural space not seen in over 100 years.

The Historic Academy of Music Theatre, owned by the Academy Center of the Arts, was built in 1905, and closed in 1958.  But with the help of fundraisers and tax credits, the old vaudeville space has now been restored to how it appeared in 1912.

Much of December will include acts celebrating the integration of the theatre, a space that was previously segregated when it closed 60 years ago.

“It’s very rare that you would be integrating a space for the first time in 2018,” said Academy Center Executive Director Geoffrey Kershner.  

His staff is announcing an opening week of events at the restored theatre, which will now mean more flexibility in the kinds of acts coming to Lynchburg.

"The theatre seats around 800, give or take, depending on the orchestra pit being in or out,” Kershner said. “Our current facility (the Academy Center’s existing space) is a 600-person standing room space, but it’s a 300 formal seated space. So who we can bring and what we can bring is a lot more dynamic now.”

Credit Academy Center of the Arts
Wynton Marsalis, who performs with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at the restored theater on December 13.

The opening week of events at the theater in December includes a performance by the Wynton Marsalis Jazz and Lincoln Center Orchestra.  Kershner says it will include an instructive time for local youth.

“They’re opening up their sound check to 600 area high school students, and doing a Q&A afterwards,” he said. “Our ability now to do that, to bring 600 high school students here, and have these music students have access to one of the greatest living jazz musicians, and be able to ask him direct questions, is an incredible opportunity that we would not have if we did not have this facility and this space.”

Click here for full list of acts at the restored theater, as well as the Academy Center’s existing space.

And a note of transparency: Academy Center of the Arts is a financial supporter of Radio IQ.

Jeff Bossert is Radio IQ's Morning Edition host.
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