Interior of the Michigan Theater, seen from the stage.
The Michigan Theater, a majestic all it’s own, bringing beauty and glamor to film out of an age that seems well past, carries ever on as a downtown Ann Arbor icon and area essential.
Originally built in 1928, during the silent film era, the Michigan Theater has endured, seen many changes, and ultimately won the battle for survival where many theaters like it have not. Over time changes were made, some were necessary or self-preserving, while others may have threatened the future of the theater.
Having been initially outfitted for the silent films that were popular when the Michigan opened, there was an orchestra pit up front and a 1927 Barton Theater Pipe Organ. The pit went with the advent of the “talkie” but the pipe organ stayed, becoming one of the most important and rare features of the theater today. The Michigan is one of only a few theaters in the world still equipped with this kind of theater organ, and this Barton is one of the few in the world still in it’s original home.
Attempts to modernize the theater in the 1950s only succeeded in hiding all of the features that made the theater beautiful in the first place. The now locally famous facade of the building with it’s vertical sign, ornate marquee, and unique octagonal ticket booth were all replaced with cold aluminum, stainless steal and glass.
The rapid expansion and popularity of the multiplex threatened to close the doors on nearly all small single screen cinemas in the 1970s. Those that continue to operate today stand as testimony to a labor of love and a severe dedication to not only movies, but to the art of film. In 1982 the managing board of the Michigan brought in a management team headed by Mr. Russell Collins.
The double stair of the Michigan Theater.
By embracing the classics and reviving the theaters original decor, hidden for years under the remodel of the 50s, Mr. Collins was able to re-establish the Michigan Theater and create a more grandiose experience for the modern viewer. Entering the theater by the completely one-of-a-kind ticket box is the first indication that the experience here is a very different one. Beyond the greeting area, also eloquently decorated, where real buttered popcorn is served, is an impressive double stair that leads to the balcony. Gilded in gold paint (real gold), the extravagance of the stair is well put to shame by the actual theater.
In the 1990s Mr. Collins added a second screen, called the ‘Screening Room’, where the Michigan plays its more diverse films including; modern, foreign and small independent films. The Michigan also agreed to take over programming of the State Theater around this time, further increasing the possibilities for programming. Today a number of film festivals and exhibitions have been held between the two theaters including the Ann Arbor Film Festival.
It is a modern thing of beauty and grace to behold that which is from our past and consider: we preserve this. One glance is all that is required to establish firmly in the mind that the Michigan is a work of art dedicated to the work of others so that both may be enjoyed. Δ John Fenton
John Fenton contributes to the Ann Arbor Real Estate News blog for PiperPartners.
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