- Byham Theater
The Byham Theater is a landmark building at 101 Sixth Street in the Cultural District of Downtown Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania ,United States .Built in 1903, the then called Gayety Theater was stage and
vaudeville house, and it featured stars such asEthel Barrymore ,Gertrude Lawrence , andHelen Hayes . It was renamed The Fulton in the 1930s when it became a full-time movie theater. In 1990 thePittsburgh Cultural Trust bought the theater and refurbished the Fulton as part of its plan for the Cultural District. The Byham family of Pittsburgh made a major naming gift for a 1995 renovation, and it has been the Byham Theater since.The Gayety boasted pressed
copper cherubs painted with abronze patina , imitationgold leaf , stained glass windows, plaster columns and wainscot of scagolia, an Italian faux marble technique. In the entry vestibule, note the original mosaic tile floor and the many bare light bulbs lining the ceiling, evidence of the advent ofelectrical lighting. The old lighted Fulton marquee has been restored by the State Museum ofPennsylvania in Harrisburg and will be installed there as part of a theater exhibit. The second phase of renovations brought new restrooms,box office ,marquee , anelevator , lobby improvements and facade changes. In 1997, the Cherub Lobby was restored to its original splendor.References
*cite book | author=Conner, Lynne | title=Pittsburgh in Stages: Two Hundred Years of Theater | location=Pittsburgh | publisher=University of Pittsburgh Press | year=2007 | id=ISBN 0-8229-4330-1
*cite book | author=Kidney, Walter C. | title=Pittsburgh's Landmark Architecture: The Historic Buildings of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County | location=Pittsburgh | publisher=Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation | year=1997 | id=ISBN 0-916670-18-X
*cite book | author=Toker, Franklin | title=Pittsburgh: An Urban Portrait | location=Pittsburgh | publisher=University of Pittsburgh Press | year=1986, 1994 | id=ISBN 0-8229-5434-6External links
* [http://www.pgharts.org/venues/byham.aspx Byham Theater homepage]
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