Coleman Theatre marks 90th year with fundraising campaign

The Coleman Theatre in Miami, Oklahoma, is marking its 90th anniversary with a “90 Dollars to Celebrate 90 Years” campaign to upgrade its lighting and sound systems.

KSNF-TV reports the theater wants to raise $175,000 for the projects. The current sound and lighting systems are more than 20 years old and not up-to-snuff for many traveling productions.

Here’s the full video from the station:

The theater will mark its 90th birthday April 18 with a birthday cake, a special screening and more activities.

Those interested in donating to the campaign you should call the theater at (918) 540-2425.

The Coleman Theatre opened in 1929 as a vaudeville venue, then transitioned into a movie house. Those who have performed there over the years include Will Rogers, Tom Mix, Sally Rand, Bing Crosby, Jim Thorpe and magician Harry Blackstone.

The Coleman family donated the theater to the city in 1989, and volunteers spent years painstakingly restoring it. The theater was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

(Image of the Coleman Theatre in Miami, Oklahoma, by Steve Walser via Flickr)

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