The Fox Theatre is truly an Atlanta icon – ranked for the last decade as one of the top-grossing performing arts venues in the world. Its blinking marquee has become synonymous with the city, and as GPB’s new documentary  “The Legend Lives On: Atlanta’s Fox Theatre” reveals, the story of the building itself is just as entertaining as one of the many shows the theatre hosts. With a plotline that includes escaping financial ruin and characters like Mighty Mo – one of the largest Moller Pipe Organs in existence - the chronicle of the Fox Theatre only adds to its allure.

“The Legend Lives On: Atlanta’s Fox Theatre” premieres Sunday, December 25 at 7 p.m. in celebration of the 87^th  anniversary of the venue’s opening on Christmas Day in 1929. It will encore Monday, December 26 at 8 p.m. and Tuesday, January 3 at 7 p.m.

The documentary traces the theatre’s beginnings to the Roaring ‘20s in Atlanta when the “Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine Yaarab Temple” decided to build a bigger and better clubhouse at the corners of Peachtree Street and Ponce De Leon Avenue that would “out Baghdad Baghdad.”

The project was initially estimated to cost about $1.5 million, but when the figures continued to rise, the shriners realized they needed a financial partner. Movie palace mogul William Fox stepped in, and the theatre became his namesake.

After a spectacular opening on Christmas Day in 1929, the Depression hit and the Fox closed just two years after its debut. In 1935, hope for the Fox was renewed when a group called Mosque Incorporated stepped in and opened up the Egyptian Ballroom as a Dance Hall.

As the documentary reveals, during the ‘40s and ‘50s, first-run movies and live shows kept the Fox solvent. Boasting star power including New York’s Metropolitan Opera and Elvis, the Fox was earning national, and even international attention.

Moving into the ‘60s and ‘70s, “The Legend Lives On: Atlanta’s Fox Theatre” explores how legendary music promoter Alex Cooley’s “Midnight at the Fox” shows brought in a younger audience who galvanized around the “Save The Fox” campaign. The campaign played one of the most pivotal roles in the theatre’s history, helping to save it from demolition to make way for new Southern Bell headquarters.

Along the way, the documentary also features many of the Fox employees who work behind the scenes to maintain the atmosphere and create the magic that has thrilled audiences for generations.

Viewers will also learn about initiatives like “Fox in a Box,” designed for elementary school students and how the Fox Theatre Institute offers advice, assistance and grants to places like the Desoto Theatre in Rome, Georgia and the Plaza Theatre on Ponce De Leon in Atlanta.