LEXINGTON, KY - When the Lyric Theatre comes back to life next fall after a half-century hiatus, citizens who helped the long fight for its revival want to make sure the stage has the programming to match the building's $6 million renovation.
"When the Lyric Theatre closed more than 50 years ago it was the leading entertainment center in the African-American communityÖ it was a phenomenal venue that attracted and brought the jazz greats, rhythm and blues greats here to Lexington," said Eugene Woods, CEO of St. Joseph Health Systems and chairman of the Lyric Task Force.
"It closed at the time largely because it had the support of just one segment of the community. When the council graciously approved the funding for the restoration of the Lyric it was with the commitment that it be a much broader based support of Lexington and the surrounding region and it would be a place where all could gather and also come back for seeing and hearing the legends that exist in this time," added Woods who along with the band he acts as guitarist and lead singer for, The City, will be headlining 'A Lyrical Evening' fundraiser on Saturday, November 14, at Buster's in the Distillery District.
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The event, with $20 tickets on sale at www.bustersbb.com, will feature local musicians and artists in a style similar to the overall programming that will be seen at the Lyric when it reopens in 2010. The band, The City, made up of Woods, UK's Chief of Surgery, Dr. Jay Zwischenberger, editor-in-chief Tom Martin, local attorney and chair of the Courthouse Area Design Review Board Michael Meuser and others will be joined by blues artist Tee Dee Young, Ben Sollee, the Agape Theater Troupe, the March Madness Marching Band, Bianca Spriggs and Kiley Lane.
"These citizens understand that just as it takes financial resources to reconstruct buildings, it also takes financial resources to build a program. We are pleased to be here to involve a few friends to help get the programming aspect of the project underway through a benefit concert," Mayor Jim Newberry said at a Monday press conference.
Third District Councilwoman Andrea James who represents the East End and the Lyric's location on the corner of Elm Tree Lane and Third Street, said the push for broad reaching programming is as important as the push was to get reconstruction of the Lyric underway.
"The citizens led the fight for a really long time to have the Lyric (renovation) actually occur. The government heard that, we responded and now, guess what, it comes back to you the citizen. We need your help; we need your help to make sure that programming goes as it needs too to make sure this is a viable, vibrant beacon on this corner of the East End as well as something we can be proud of throughout the entire city of Lexington," James said.
The concert at Buster's starts at 8 p.m. and should run two and a half hours including multimedia segments recalling the history of the Lyric Theatre which has played host to the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington.