Keith-Albee Theatre
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Keith Albee is a theatre located along Fourth Avenue in downtown Huntington, West Virginia. The Keith Albee was named after B.F. Keith and E.F. Albee who were both interested in vaudeville performances. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is currently being restored as a performing arts center.
[edit] Early history
The Keith Albee opened on May 8, 1928. The theatre was constructed by the talented architect Thomas W. Lamb. At that time, it second in size to the Roxy Theatre in New York City. At first, the theatre offered vaudeville acts with local performers of A.B. and S.J. Hyman. The theatre survived a major flood in 1937.
[edit] Life as a movie theatre and the present day
As vaudeville suffered a major decline in the 1930s, the Keith Albee began to run movies. By the 1970s grand movie houses were torn down to make way for larger cinemas. However, the citizens of Huntington weren't giving up a fight and save the theatre from closure and the wrecking ball. The Hyman family decided to convert the grand Keith Albee into three separate theatres. A fourth theatre was later added in a former retail space. In 1986, the Keith Albee was placed on the National Register of Historical Places. In 2004, a large cinema opened in Pullman Square which took a huge chunk of income out of the Keith Albee. On January 22, 2006, the Keith Albee stopped being an active movie theater. At the present time, the Marshall University Foundation has taken control of the theatre and will convert the Keith Albee into a performing arts center. On December 12, 2006 the Keith Albee will host the world premiere of the movie "We Are Marshall" with actors Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Fox and director McG attending, in addition the theatre will be featured in the movie.
