The historic Fox Theater re-opened in downtown Spokane last month. The Fox first opened in 1931 as part of Spokane’s golden Jubilee. For more than 30 years, the Fox offered “elegant entertainment” that included first-run films, live theater productions and classical performances. Those were the days when Katharine Hepburn, Boris Karloff, Vladimir Horowitz, Bing Crosby, and Lily Pons were among the stars on the Fox stage. By 1975 the Fox had become a cinema triplex, then a discount movie theater, and finally closed in 2000.

When some in Spokane started talking about demolishing the Fox to make way for a parking lot, others saw the Fox as the new home for the Spokane Symphony. “Save the Fox” became a new call to action.

The opening night concert was a sell-out gala featuring a thrilling performance by the Spokane Symphony conducted by Eckart Preu, with guest soloist Frederica von Stade, mezzo soprano of the Metropolitan Opera.