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Historic Fox Theatre getting a facelift
McCOOK, Neb — The 95-year-old Fox Theatre is getting an upgrade, with a digital marquee and a spruced-up “Fox” sign that’s attached to it.
Talk to anyone who grew up in McCook through the 1980s and chances are, almost everyone will have a memory or two of the Fox Theater. Built by A. Barnett, who built many iconic buildings still in use in McCook, the Fox Theater on Norris Avenue first opened in 1927 as the World Theatre and featured vaudeville acts. The building was remodeled in the late 1940s and again in the 1950s, with the screen area enlarged to accommodate the latest cinemascope film. Seating was also updated and the lobby was remodeled. In 1955, a lighted marquee was added and the stage was remodeled.
But after 67 years, the marquee was showing its age. And finding someone to manually change the marquee, letter by letter, was getting harder to find, oftentimes the task left to native McCookite John Hubert, 95. Hubert previously owned the theater and sold it in 1988 to the nonprofit, Alliance for the Encouragement of Visual and Performing Arts (AEVPA).
Since 2005, the alliance has been restoring the theater, its newest project being the installation of the digital marquee and replacing the neon lights in the “Fox” sign with LED lights. The sign will also undergo some much-needed painting, said Charles Coleman.
Coleman, the son-in-law of Hubert and a member of the AEVPA, said the digital marquee wouldn’t detract from the original integrity of the building, but acknowledged there was a lot of discussion within the AEVPA about that. As the basic intent of the non-profit is to preserve the character and charm of the theater, members also had to take into consideration the demands of today’s technology, he said, along with the future needs of the theatre. And there was only so long they would be able to rely on Hubert’s expertise in heaving up the letters on a pole, one by one, to the marquee.
“You just can’t find people to do that kind of work, as it’s very labor-extensive and time-consuming,” Coleman said. The marquee was often leased for Happy Birthday announcements, something Hubert said he always liked doing, as parents would tell him how excited their kids were to see their name “up in lights.”
That can still happen with the new marquee, as it can display an image that looks like traditional marquee letters. But unlike the old marquee, the new one will have more capabilities, Coleman said, the biggest being “we can do all the things we did before, but faster and on a moment’s notice.” This would include displaying more information about upcoming events, instead of just a title or a few sentences, he said.
And like the old marquee, the new one can be leased for birthdays and congratulatory messages once completed, Coleman said. There’s a lot of local sentiment attached to the Fox, he said, and for vintage theaters in general.
“The perception I get is that people are happy to have the facility, happy to come in and find it enjoyable,” he said of the theater. This extends to visiting performers as well. “One of the neat things (as part of AEVPA) is that I’ve been fortunate to meet the artists who have performed at the Fox and their first expression is ooh, aww,” he said.
“They start taking pictures and say they are so glad we’ve taken the effort to save it.”
Josh O’Neil of Swanson Signs is in charge of installing the marquee and fixing up the Fox sign. “He’s working very hard, figuring out the best way to do things,” Coleman said. “I’m really pleased with the work he’s doing.”
Another major project in the future is to repair the seating. The Fox is still using seats from the 1950s with some seats from the 1930s, Coleman said. Although generally in good working order, the seats need new upholstery and the wooden armrests and wood back panels also need to be re-finished.
“You don’t see wooden armrests very much anymore,” he noted.
In-kind and cash donations have really been a game changer in restoring the Fox, Coleman said. In fact, without donations, the Fox wouldn’t have gotten this far, he said. “Donations are always welcome, as nothing can happen until the money comes in,” he said. And like in every restoration process, “there’s always another project,” Coleman said.
The Fox Theater is one of the recipients of the McCook Big Give on Thursday, Nov. 3, a 24-hour time frame where individuals can donate funds to their favorite non-profits and charities. Matching dollars are also available during certain times and locations during the Big Give.
More information and history on the Fox can be found at “McCook Fox Theatre” on Facebook or at foxtheatremccook.org.
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History of the Fox
The building known as the “Fox Theatre” was built by Albert Barnett and opened its doors January 28, 1927 as the World Theatre. It featured five Vaudeville acts of live entertainment every Sunday. The World Theatres, a Nebraska chain out of Omaha, operated the theatre for several years, then turned their lease over to the Rocky Mountain Theatre Company, who in turn sold their lease to The Fox Theatre Corporation.
Remodeling in the 1940s and ‘50s
The building was remodeled in the late 1940’s and then again in the 1950’s. The screen area was enlarged to accommodate the latest cinemascope film, seating was upgraded, and the lobby was remodeled. The facade of the building was changed in 1955 with the addition of a lighted marquee, and the stage was also remodeled at this time.
Past Ownership
In 1974, the theatre was purchased by Bison Enterprises Inc. that also operated the Bison Drive In Theatre.
In 1978, John and Eileen Hubert bought the building, and several operators leased the theatre until 1987, when the showing of movies ceased. During that time the balcony of the theatre was closed off to create a second theatre and a second projection booth was created at the back of the main floor. In 1988, the Huberts sold the building to the Alliance for the Encouragement of Visual and Performing Arts (AEVPA), a non-profit corporation. The Alliance has made the facility available to Theatre Groups, The McCook Concert Association, Storytelling Festivals, Church services and concerts, School concerts and many other organizations.
Renovate and Refurbish
In May of 2005, a group of community-minded citizens assumed control of the non-profit corporation with the intent to completely renovate/refurbish the theatre while preserving its historical integrity and making the completed project available to area citizens for various uses.
Showplace
The Alliance is in the process of completing various projects as funds become available. The goal is to continue to make the community’s Fox Theatre the “Showplace” for the Visual and Performing Arts in Southwest Nebraska.
Completed Projects
Dressing Rooms with restrooms built
New & Upgraded Electrical installed
New Heating, Ventilating & Cooling Unit
New roof installed with stage area access
Insulation to Roof added
Access doors to stage replaced & widened
New Stairwell to basement dressing rooms created
Public Restrooms enlarged & made ADA compliant
Auditorium Ceiling, walls, & floor updated
New Plumbing system installed
Sprinkler system added to stage & dressing rooms
New surface on the stage floor
Main Curtain moved forward & motorized
New Curtains added to stage for depth
Big Screen placed on a retracting mechanism
Building Front freshly painted
New stars completed and painted
Marquee updated with new letters & reduced energy light bulbs
A portion of the sound system installed to give some sound reinforcement capability
New energy efficient lighting
Stage level dressing room and restroom completed
Ramp access to stage added in the auditorium
Stairways to the stage redesigned with railings
Walls & carpeting in the Lobby Area updated
Future Projects
Marquee wiring & mechanics refurbished
New Wall Washing Lights added to front of the building
All seating will be repaired, refinished & reupholstered
New stage lighting installed
New sound booth & sound system
Orchestra pit constructed
New surface on the stage floor