Regent Theater

Ken Roe on August 4, 2006 at 2:33 am

The Regent Theater first opened in 1916 as a 500 seat theatre catering for Negro audiences. The architectural firm was Sparklin & Childs (William O. Sparklin & George S. Childs).

In 1920 the same architects were commisioned to enlarge the theatre, retaining the original entrance facade and it re-opened in January 1921 with an increased seating capacity of 2,250, that included 400 seats in a newly constructed balcony. In 1922 a 2 Manual Robert Morton pipe organ was installed. Remaining a Negro theatre, the stage was well used in the variety shows which accompanied the movies, with artists such as Cab Calloway, Sissle & Blake, Lena Horne & Ethel Waters appearing here.

It closed in December 1974 (with the seating capacity greatly reduced down to 1,474) and was demolished in 1980.