Theatre Facade

The front facade of the Alabama is small and is not representative of the large cavernous theatre inside. The 7-story vertical sign, a downtown landmark, is a Paramount trade-mark sign and contains 3500 light bulbs. The theatre originally had two of these vertical signs, one on 3rd Avenue and one on 18th Street. The 18th Street sign was removed in the 50's for reasons as yet unknown. The changeable marque contains over 1,000 additional bulbs that chase from one side to the other. When the vertical sign and the marque are both turned on after dark, the street is illuminated like daylight.

Main Auditorium

The main auditorium, as well as the Theatre, was designed by Graven and Mayger theatre architects from Chicago. It contains 2200 seats and has one of the most expensive ceilings in any theatre in the country. The auditorium is 70 feet tall at its highest point and there are over 12,000 individual effect light bulbs installed throughout. Bernard Block, a scenic designer from New York, donated material for a new gold stage drape. The material is the same fabric used in the drape at Radio City Music Hall. The drape is made from 400 yards of imported gold silk material and weighs 3500 pounds.

The stage is 28 feet deep, with a proscenium opening of 42 feet and a thrust stage extension of 14 feet.

Auditorium Balcony

Hall of Mirrors

The Grand Lobby

The gold leaf coffered ceiling is one of the few areas of the theatre that did not receive a "new" treatment during the restoration. After carefully hand-cleaning the lobby ceiling and inspecting the surface, the decision was made to only re-glaze it. It turned out that the original gold leaf was still in excellent condition.

The chandelier in the Grand Lobby was manufactured in Italy specifically for the theatre in 1927, along with the starburst light fixture in the Hall of Mirrors. The grand chandelier contains 186 light bulbs, weighs 1300 pounds and is 9 feet tall.

The large turquoise urn on the grand staircase is one of only 11 built and one of only 6 still in existence today. It was manufactured in 1851 by the Minton Ceramic Company in England.

Concessions

Ladies Lounge

The restroom area, known for years as "the Lounge," is one of the most beautiful areas of the theatre and contains many beautiful paintings and art objects. The Ladies Room was recently restored and is different from any other area of the theatre. After careful investigation, the original look was impossible to determine. Therefore, the restoration was done on a "what it should have looked like" rather than "what it was." The results are spectacular. The Men's Room was easier to evaluate and underwent a normal restoration.