Savannah Main Street to Mark Historic Theatre's 95th Anniversary

The City of Savannah, Tennessee, and Savannah Main Street Director Ashley Kate Adams have announced the launch of the 'Savannah 'Sound On' Cinema' program at the Historic Savannah Theatre on November 7th, 2026, with a live performance of Fabulous Fanny: The Songs & Stories of Fanny Brice, starring Kimberly Faye Greenberg directed by Brian Childers. This initiative will debut on the 95th Anniversary of the Grand Opening of the Historic Savannah Theatre!

The 'Savannah 'Sound On' Cinema' Initiative was created to preserve the history of the Historic Savannah Theatre, highlight its role in the community, and invite current filmmakers to shoot on an authentic Main Street. The initiative will be celebrated with a reception at 6pm that will reveal a historic timeline, with a live performance at 7pm from Broadway actress Greenberg, who will re-create an authentic experience as film and vaudeville star Fanny Brice. The program will begin with words from Mayor Bob Shutt, Main Street Director Ashley Kate Adams, and a special message from Tennessee Main Street Director Kim Parks with support from the Tennessee Entertainment Commission.

While there were originally rumblings of a movie theatre off of Main Street dating back to as early as 1921 as part of the original library and Masonic lodge building, the structure we know of today opened as 'The Churchwell Picture Show' with a Grand Opening the weekend of November 10th, 1931, with the film Connecticut Yankee starring Will Rogers. The same theatre was then purchased and re-branded as 'The New Savannah Theatre' to R.B. Gooch in 1940, which re-opened with MGM's Andy Hardy Meets A Debutante starring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. The theatre most notably shone during the golden age of Hollywood with the rise of the studio system, with many pictures being movie musicals and even westerns where movie stars would arrive on horseback to the presentation house stage. Savannah, now referred to as 'the smallest town with the biggest sound,' was a cinematic leader in the region during the birth of the 'talkies,' being noted nationally in trades such as Film Daily as the smallest theatre in the United States with a Western Electric Sound System.

Main Street Director Adams, whose background is in Broadway, film, and music, shares, 'It is not surprising that Savannah's rich reputation as a quaint historic river town with Civil War landmarks, showboats, and bluegrass music didn't stop there with its cultural impact. I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to speak on the history and impact of our historic Savannah theatre and help to bring its identity into a new age, 95 years later. Nothing thrills me more than showcasing the theatre as the heart of our downtown Main Street district.'

To ensure your reservation, please email aadams@cityofsavannah.org as space is limited to 150 seats. The performance is open and free to the general public, but tickets will not be available at the door.

The Historic Savannah Theatre is located at 75 Court St. Savannah, TN 38372. For additional information on Savannah's Main Street Program, please visit https://cityofsavannah.org/mainstreet/.