Ritz Theatre (Jacksonville)
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The Ritz Theatre is an African-American oriented theatre in the LaVilla neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida. The theater seats 426 and has a state-of-the-art sound system, theatrical lighting and 30' x 40' performance stage, ideal for a variety of music, dance and theatrical productions, as well as movies. Theatre storage and loading spaces, dressing rooms and technical areas make this a top quality facility. The spacious and beautifully decorated lobby is one of Jacksonville's premiere reception and gathering areas. Receptions, business meetings, private affairs, weddings and other community events are held there. Just off the lobby is the LaVilla Museum which holds 11,000 square feet of exhibits that recount local African-American history and showcase the work of black artists.[1] The theatre and museum are the premiere African American cultural institutions in Jacksonville showcasing art, music, drama, poetry and dance. Today, the Ritz Theatre and LaVilla Museum pay tribute to the past while building a new tradition for the future today. LaVilla is considered the mecca for African American culture and heritage in Florida. [2]
[edit] History
John Jones, who held a Spanish Land grant, was the first settler in the LaVilla area in 1801. During the Civil War years from 1861 until 1867, LaVilla was an independent muncipality with African-Americans holding senior positions in the government, police and fire departments. LaVilla, with a population of 3,000 residents, was annexed to Jacksonville in 1887. The Great Fire of 1901 originated in northern LaVilla but spared most of LaVilla's business district.
The Ritz Theater was designed in the Art Deco style by local architect Jefferson Powell and constructed in 1929. From then through the late 1960s, the theater jammed with Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway and many other artists who worked the "Chitlin' circuit". [3] LaVilla was the center of a thriving, vibrant culture from 1921-1971, when it was known as the "Harlem of the South". Quite a few entertainers played the Ritz before moving on to the Apollo Theater in New York City's Harlem.
Beginning in the early '70s, the Ritz/LaVilla business and entertainment district began to decline. As the walls of segregation begin to fall, many middle and upper-class African-Americans found new opportunities and moved to other areas of the city. Time and social events took its toll on this once thriving hub of African-American life. According to General Counsel Rick Mullaney, who was chief of staff under Mayor Ed Austin, "LaVilla was nothing but crack houses, prostitution and crime." That may be a slight exaggeration, but the neighborhood needed help.[4]
Mayor Ed Austin's River City Renaissance plan was adopted by the Jacksonville City Council in 1993. The project included $33 million to renovate the LaVilla and Brooklyn areas. Most of LaVilla's small, clapboard "shotgun" houses (so called because you could fire a shotgun through the central hallway to the back room and not hit anything) were torn down, and the area was cleaned up. Groundbreaking for the $4.2 million Ritz Theatre & LaVilla Museum took place in 1998. Construction took a year, and the grand opening took place on Sept. 30, 1999. Today, only the northwest corner of the building, including the Ritz sign, is original, but the Ritz Theatre and LaVilla Museum are once again a center of the city's cultural life. [5]
