For immediate release: Nov. 13, 2001

FOX THEATRE MARQUEE LIGHTS UP TO IGNITE UPTOWN REVIVAL

OAKLAND, CA – The City of Oakland and Friends of the Oakland Fox (FOOF) are pleased to announce that the landmark Fox Theater's newly-restored marquee and blade will be re-lit during a festive celebration on Thursday, November 29, 2001. Mayor Jerry Brown will "throw the switch" to re-ignite a once-bustling stretch of Telegraph Avenue and enhance its appeal to developers.

"We're looking for a developer to take over the Fox project and make sure that ALL of the lights are turned on," said Mayor Jerry Brown.

The November 29 event will be held from 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. and feature musical performances by the Oakland Jazz Choir and the Royal Society Jazz Orchestra, a group that performs music from the '20s and '30s during the time the Fox was in its heyday. With KTVU/Fox news anchor Dennis Richmond serving as the emcee, the program will also include remarks by Carl Wagner of Wagner Electric Sign Company in Ohio, the company that restored the marquee and blade; William E. Claggett, Executive Director of the City of Oakland’s Community and Economic Development Agency; and Jeff Chew, the City's manager of the Fox Theater project.

Along with Mayor Brown, Oakland City Council members will take part in the event, riding from City Hall to the theater in vintage automobiles. The public is encouraged to attend this fun-filled affair in period dress from the Roaring 20's and the '30s.

The landmark Fox Theater was built in 1928 as a vaudeville theater and movie palace. Its very success spurred construction of the nearby Paramount Theatre. However, due to a trend towards smaller, neighborhood theaters, the 2,800-seat Fox eventually closed in the late 1970's. After many near-dates with disaster, including plans to raze it for a parking lot, the theater was purchased by the City of Oakland in 1996. Friends of the Oakland Fox was formed in 1999 with the mission of seeing the theater reopen as a fully-restored live performance venue. The revival of this historic structure will pump energy into the surrounding Uptown area, which was previously a high-traffic shopping and entertainment district.

FOOF and the City of Oakland’s Community and Economic Development Agency hope that with the marquee and blade beaming into the night, the Fox will attract developers interested in the restoration of this magnificent theater.

For more information, please call Jeff Chew in the Community & Economic Development Agency at 510-238-3629 or Friends of the Oakland Fox at 510-869-3519.

What: The long-awaited re-lighting of the Fox Theater marquee
Who: Mayor Jerry Brown; City of Oakland officials; and Friends of the Oakland Fox
Where: The Fox Theater, Telegraph @ 19th Street in downtown Oakland
When: Thursday, November 29, 2001 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Why: To celebrate the newly-restored marquee and blade (vertical sign)

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