| The Beacham Theater | |
|---|---|
 
Location within Florida
| |
| Alternative names | The Beacham |
| General information | |
| Status | Used as a nightclub |
| Type | Theater |
| Architectural style | Mesh of Mediterranean and art deco themes |
| Address | 46 North Orange Avenue |
| Town or city | Orlando, Florida |
| Country | United States |
| Completed | December 9, 1921 |
| Renovated | 1936, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1991, |
| Client | Braxton Beacham Sr. |
| Dimensions | |
| Other dimensions | 145 feet (44 m) across x 213.5 feet (65.1 m) deep |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Reinforced concrete and brick with stucco out-surface |
| Floor area | 30,965 square foot (2,876.7 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Unknown, likely Murray S. King |
Its current address is 46 North Orange Avenue.
The theater was built by Braxton Beacham Sr. at the site of the former jail for Orange County.
Beacham bought the property at the southwest corner of Orange Ave. and Washington St. in 1917.
The jail was torn down and he developed a series of connected buildings known as the "Beacham Block."
On December 9, 1921 Orlando's premier vaudeville and movie house opened as the Beacham Theatre. Beacham's theater was leased to the Sparks Theater Company in 1922.
Vitaphone and Movietone sound system "talkie" equipment was added in 1928 and by 1933 Florida State Theaters had taken over the lease.
The Beacham Theater ceased operations as a movie theater in 1975 and briefly became franchises of The Great Southern Music Hall and Reynold's Celebrity Dinner Theater.
The Beacham Theater was granted local historic landmark status on September 21, 1987.
The Beacham as it is currently named, has operated as series of nightclubs and was home to the legendary club AAHZ. House Music and all-night underground dance parties throughout the late-80's and early 1990's held at the Beacham during the Second Summer of Love gave rise to Florida breaks, also known as the "Orlando Sound" and ushered in the popularity of electronic dance music in the United States.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ Patrizio, Ron (August 23, 1987). "Historic Label No Guarantee Beacham Theater's Owner May Raze Old Downtown Building For New One". orlandosentinel.com. The Orlando Sentinel. RetrievedNovember 5, 2015.
The Beacham Theater has served as a city hall, vaudeville playhouse and movie theater. In 1975, it closed as a movie theater and reopened a year later as the Great Southern Music Hall. It finally closed as the Celebrity Dinner Theater in January.
- ^ Gettelman, Parry (February 9, 1997). "The Orlando Sound Although Hard To Define, It's Hot Among Lovers Of Underground Dance Music". orlandosentinel.com. The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
Orlando club kids first encountered the style in the late '80s at the old Beacham Theatre ... on Orange Avenue where DJs such as Kimball Collins, Dave Cannalte, Chris Fortier and Andy Hughes got their start at Aahz dance nights.
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