Downtown Brownwood was filled with music, dancing, food, and fun as residents gathered to commemorate a new beginning for the Lyric Theatre.

For the first time in 50 years, the sign and marquee were lit on the theatre marking significant progress in its renovation.   Hundreds of people lined Center Avenue near the Lyric to enjoy the celebration and catch a sneak peek at the newly renovated exterior and lobby.

This street party for the lighting of the sign not only was a celebration, but also a fundraiser as organizers took donations in exchange for food, drinks, and commemorative t-shirts to help further the renovation efforts.  The $1.5 million renovation still lacks about $500,000, and Lyric board members announced several large contributions that they recently received which will help get them closer to their goal.

Four fourth-grade students won the honor of flipping the switch to light the Lyric sign by writing essays telling why the Lyric is so important to Brownwood.  Clay Townsend, Dalainey Garza, Brooke Allen, and Jenna Lyons helped light the sign after a dramatic 10 second countdown by those in attendance (see video below).

As an added attraction to the Lyric celebration, the cast of “Annie” performed a couple of songs in the street as a preview to their summer community musical.  “Annie” will have five performances this week before closing the show (click here for more “Annie” details and schedule).

It was an event for the history books, and a big step towards completing the renovation of the Lyric Theatre.

The Lyric was built in 1914 and was originally designed for live performances.  As silent movies and feature films became popular, the Lyric was transformed into a movie house.

For more information about the history of the Lyric and how to contribute to the restoration project, visit the Lyric website at www.BrownwoodLyricTheatre.com .

Click the photo gallery below for pictures of the event.  Also see video of the lighting of the sign along with a short interview with Daddy Warbucks.

{phocagallery view=category|categoryid=181|

limitstart=0|limitcount=1|detail=0|displayname=1|

displaydetail=1|imageshadow=shadow1}

{denvideo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ThLNNlaKCg 400 300 }

{denvideo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MijrOkkj5aU 400 300 }