The Century Theatre in Detroit shares a lobby with the
Gem Theatre Gem Theatre or Gem Theater may refer to:
* Gem Theatre (Detroit)
* Gem Theater (Deadwood, South Dakota)
* Gem Theatre (Kannapolis, North Carolina)
* Gem Theater (New Orleans)
*Gem Theater (Pioche, Nevada)
The Gem Theater is a movie theater in P ...
. The theatre has seating at cabaret tables, and the stage hosts quirky shows, such as
Forbidden Broadway
''Forbidden Broadway'' is an off-Broadway revue parodying musical theatre, particularly Broadway musicals. Conceived, written, and directed by Gerard Alessandrini, the show has been updated many times to parody new musicals and productions. The r ...
,
Menopause the Musical, and
Late Nite Catechism. The theatre building houses a restaurant, The Century Grille, and is a popular
downtown Detroit
Downtown Detroit is the central business district and a Neighborhoods in Detroit, residential area of the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States. Locally, "downtown" tends to refer to the 1.4 square mile region bordered by M-10 (Michigan high ...
destination for weddings and private events.
History
Built in 1903 by the Twentieth Century Association and opened on December 26, the theater was the first building in Detroit to have a building permit issued in a woman's name. During The
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, the Association disbanded and the theater foreclosed. The building housed a variety of businesses over the years until it finally closed in 1978. In 1990, developer Charles Forbes began a renovation to restore it. The Gem Theatre reopened on December 31, 1991, only to close again in 1997. Because of the fact it would be torn down due to
Comerica Park
Comerica Park is a baseball stadium located in Downtown Detroit. It has been the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers since 2000, when the team left Tiger Stadium (Detroit), Tiger Stadium.
History Construction
Founded in 1894, t ...
, Forbes negotiated it so the theatre was moved five blocks away November 10, 1997. It broke the 1986 Guinness Book of World Records for the heaviest building moved on wheels
The Historic Gem and Century Theatres, Century Grille Detroit’s record-breaking little gem
/ref>
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
External links
Gem and Century Theatres Photos at DETROIT: The Gem Theatre
Theatres in Detroit
Relocated buildings and structures in Michigan
Event venues established in 1903
1903 establishments in Michigan
{{theater-struct-stub