Tucson, Arizona Sunday, 30 June 2002
Fox dazzles Downtown for first time in
27 years
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By Arek Sarkissian II For the first time in more than 27years, the neon glow of the
Fox Tucson Theatre illuminated More than 850 light bulbs and 187 feet of neon were lit in the
Fox's sign and marquee, showing The installation of the marquee and sign was unorthodox because it's normally done when a theater nears completion. But Stratford said it was appropriate. "It's the light at the beginning of the tunnel. This is a standing symbol that this is happening," he said. The theater is scheduled to open in 2004, he said. More than 200 people showed up for the event. Some had only
heard of the theater's past grandeur, but others were there to Virginia Barleycorn used to go to the theater daily to watch movies, starting from its opening in 1930. "Sure brings a lot of memories back," Barleycorn said.
The lighting "means this theater isn't going to disappear
into a Barleycorn pointed to the area directly behind the large vertical sign and said, "My mom used to work up there on the second floor." The sign and marquee are exact replicas of the originals, which were scrapped during World War II to build airplanes, according to Stratford. "It looks almost exactly the same," Barleycorn said. Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup was on hand for the lighting, which included live music and dancing. "We've all been waiting for this for so long. This is the first exciting part of the Rio Nuevo project that people can actually see. It's truly exciting," he said. * Contact reporter Arek Sarkissian II at 629-9412 or asarkiss@azstarnet.com. All content copyright © 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 AzStarNet, Arizona Daily Star and its wire services and suppliers. |
Renee Sauer / Staff |
