Ritz Theatre Presents the Hit Music Godspell

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Dublin Core

Title

Ritz Theatre Presents the Hit Music Godspell

Alternative Title

Ritz Presents Godspell

Subject

Sanford (Fla.)
Theaters--Florida
Plays, American
Plays for performance
Musicals--United States

Description

Flyer for the Ritz Theater's presentation of Godspell at the Sanford Civic Center. Godspell is a musical produced by Stephen Schwartz based on a book by John Michael Tebelak. The play originally opened on Broadway on May 17, 1971. The musical consists of a series of parables based on the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke.

Originally the Milane Theatre, the building was constructed at 203 South Magnolia Avenue in Sanford, the former location of the Star Theatre, an abandoned movie house. Scroggs and Ewing, architects from Georgia, prepared the plans for the Milane. The name of the new theater was derived from the combination of the presidents of the Milane Amusement Company president and vice president: Frank L. Miller and Edward F. Lane. The Milane opened in July of 1923 and seated 823 patrons. In 1933, the Milane was sold to Frank and Stella Evans, investors from Lake Mary, Florida. The new owners renamed their business the Ritz Theatre and held the property until the 1990s. However, the Ritz struggled financially in the 1960s and closed in 1978 due to failure to compete with the new multiplex theaters. The building remained vacant until 1984, when it reopened as the Showtime Cantina. The Showtime Cantina closed in 1988 and remained vacant and in decay. In the mid-1990s, Ritz Community Theater Projects, Inc. acquired the property and began rehabilitation in 1998. On May 6, 2000, the theater reopened as the Helen Stairs Theatre in honor of the citizen who led the restoration project, Helen Stairs. The following year, the location was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2008, additional renovations were completed at the theater was renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in honor of the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust Fund for contributing to the renovations fund.

Source

Photocopy of original flyer: Ritz Theatre Collection, Museum of Seminole County History, Sanford, Florida.

Date Created

ca. 1971-1978

Has Format

Original flyer.

Is Format Of

Digital reproduction of photocopy of original flyer.

Is Part Of

Ritz Theatre Collection, Museum of Seminole County History, Sanford, Florida.
Milane Theatre Collection, Sanford Collection, Seminole County Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.

Format

image/jpg

Extent

1.26 MB

Medium

1 flyer

Language

eng

Type

Text

Coverage

Ritz Theatre, Sanford, Florida
Sanford Civic Center, Sanford, Florida

Spatial Coverage

28.810527, -81.266859
28.812994, -81.264649

Temporal Coverage

1971-05-17/1978-12-31

Accrual Method

Donation

Mediator

History Teacher
Economics Teacher
Humanities Teacher
Theater Teacher
Music Teacher

Rights Holder

Copyright to this resource is owned by Museum of Seminole County History and provided here by RICHES of Central Florida for educational purposes only.

Contributing Project

Curator

Cepero, Laura

Digital Collection

External Reference

"Helen Stairs Theatre." StageClick. http://www.stageclick.com/venue/457.aspx.
"Theater History." Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center. http://www.wdpac.com/footer-menu/theater-history/.
"Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center." Seminole County: Florida's Natural Choice. http://www.visitseminole.com/things-to-do/general/wayne-densch-performing-arts-center.

Transcript

RITZ THEATER
Presents The Hit Musical
GODSPELL
Direct from Titusville Playhouse
November 21st-23rd
Friday & Saturday 8 P.M.
Sunday 2:30 P.M.
AT SANFORD CIVIC CENTER
Tickets $12 Adults, Seniors & Students $10
For Reservations Call: 321-8111, Group Sales: 323-9421
Second Image, Delilah's Our House Books

Document Item Type Metadata

Original Format

1 flyer

Citation

“Ritz Theatre Presents the Hit Music Godspell,” RICHES, accessed October 31, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/1110.

Locations

Categories