Your Community

Magical Holiday Fun at Embassy Theatre

By Peggy Werner

Embassy Theatre’s annual Festival of Trees took place this season as the largest fundraiser of the year to support ongoing operational and restoration efforts in the historic building.

The lobbies of the theater and Indiana Hotel were transformed into a wonderland of decorated trees, says Carly Myers, chief marketing officer. “It’s pretty magical and is very nostalgic for some,” she says. Generations of families have attended the event since its beginning in 1985.

More holiday events are coming up at Embassy, including Celebrate the Holiday Season with Concordia Lutheran High School (CLHS) at 4 p.m. on Dec. 12. “Go Tell It: Jesus Christ is Born” will showcase the talents of CLHS music department students with choral and instrumental music. Tickets are $17 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, with no reserved seats.

On Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m., the Embassy will host Straight No Chaser with its “Back in the High Life” tour. Fans will have a first opportunity to see the group perform that song in person plus tracks from last year’s album, “Social Christmasing,” and a mix of brand-new arrangements and fan favorites.

Straight No Chaser ushered in the modern a cappella craze with its breakthrough version of “The 12 Days of Christmas” 12 years ago. Since then, the group has clocked in two RIAA-certified Gold records with more than 1 billion streams and sold more than 1.5 million concert tickets worldwide to their unforgettable live shows. In its album “Social Christmasing,” the group puts its signature twist on Christmas classics like “Silver Bells” and “Frosty The Snowman,” performs five new original songs and presents a hopeful take on the Counting Crows classic, “A Long December.” Ticket prices vary.

Also bringing seasonal cheer to the Embassy are the Holiday Pops concerts by Fort Wayne Philharmonic, offering pop and classical music plus a sing-along and visit from Santa. See our cover story for more details about it.

The Broadway at The Embassy series will continue into 2022 with “Cats” on Jan. 24 and “Hairspray,” “Waitress,” and “Jersey Boys” next spring. “Waitress” and “Cats” will be staged two nights. “The 2,471-seat theater is large enough to attract national acts, but small enough to give audiences an intimate experience with the stage productions, and there’s not a bad seat in the house,” says Myers. A former seven-story hotel wraps around the north and west sides of the theater and has been repurposed to include business offices, a two-story ballroom and other rental spaces. A rooftop patio is available for weddings, corporate parties, community events and more.

The Embassy Theatre opened as Emboyd Theatre in May 1928, at a time when vaudeville was at its height of popularity. For 25 years, it was a destination for many of the biggest and brightest stars of stage and screen, including Perry Como, Lawrence Welk, Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennett, Doris Day, Duke Ellington, Red Skelton and Victor Borge.

After being sold to Alliance Amusement Corp., the theater changed its name to Embassy Theatre and continued to operate as a movie palace. The ornate pipe organ, once used to accompany silent films with live scores, was seldom used by then, but a group of organ enthusiasts came together as its unofficial guardian.

Faced with the imminent razing of the building, a handful of volunteers formed the Embassy Theatre Foundation in 1972. Their goal was to protect and preserve the building and organ.

With just two days to spare, $250,000 was raised to rescue the building from demolition. The work began and many fundraisers were held. The first Festival of Trees raised $46,000.

Thanks to generous supporters, the following building renovations have been completed at Embassy Theatre: Installation of the marquee and vertical blade sign; renovation of the HVAC and cooling system; restoration of the Hoosier room; renovation of the ladies’ lower lounge; replacement of the grand entryway doors; and repair of the water-damaged sub-basement and foundation. The Indiana Hotel renovation included the creation of a two-level ballroom and the Parkview Health rooftop patio.

The “Magic of the Season” Festival of Trees at Embassy Theatre in Fort Wayne is an annual fundraiser for the theater, which opened in 1928. The Embassy Theatre Foundation formed in 1972 to preserve this community gem and its historic pipe organ.