Portal:Mississippi/Selected article/1

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The Alamo Theater, located at 333 North Farish Street in Jackson, Mississippi, is a dual purpose theater located in the Farish Street Historic District, which was the mecca of a thriving black professional and trade community before desegregation.

There have been three buildings to bare the Alamo Theater name in Jackson. The first structure was located on Farish Street in the 100 block across from where the McCoy Federal Building now stands and opened in 1915. The second Alamo was located on West Amite Street at Roach Street and opened in 1928.

The third Alamo opened February 26, 1949 seating 750. In its early days, it functioned as a cinema featuring westerns and African American films. The facility also served as a performing arts theater featuring black vaudeville acts, stage bands, and black performing artists including B.B King and Nat King Cole. It was here that longtime Muddy Waters pianist Otis Spann won a talent contest at the age of eight.

The Alamo Theater was one of the last "dual purpose" theaters in the United States.

By 1983 everything came to a halt and the Alamo closed. (read more . . . )