Christmas Day will mark the 90th anniversary of the Fox Theatre, and to kickoff the celebration of one of Atlanta’s most historic and cherished landmarks, the venue is hosting Mighty Mo’s ‘Holiday Extravaganza’ on Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Presented by Georgia Natural Gas, the night will honor the Fox Theatre’s historic 1929 grand opening with a musical prelude on the renowned “Mighty Mo” by Ken Double, president of the American Theatre Organ Society. This community event will also help introduce the Fox Theatre’s first advertising campaign -- I Am the Fox. The campaign highlights the Fox’s rich history and iconic status throughout Georgia with commercials featuring notable Atlantans and local community members who bring to life the city’s undeniable love affair with the Fox Theatre.

“The Fox is a vessel of many, many stories – stories behind its history and how it was built, stories with every individual and every couple that walks through its doors,” said President and CEO Allan Vella. “We are celebrating by bringing the community a way to embrace its impact over the years. It’s our way to show Atlanta that this cherished theater is not only irreplaceable…  it’s theirs.”

The Fox Theatre was originally conceived as home for the Atlanta Shriners Organization in 1928. Created to befit the group’s prominent social status, it was designed to resemble an ancient temple with intricate patterns. In 1929, the Fox Theatre was leased to William Fox and soon became one of the southeast’s most popular and striking movie palaces – opening on Christmas Day to a sold-out crowd, premiering “Steamboat Willie.”

When suburban migration began in the late 1960s and left the future of the beloved landmark uncertain, the Fox Theatre closed its doors in 1974 – seemingly forever. In fear of losing the beautiful theater for good, the Atlanta community united to launch the now memorable “Save The Fox” campaign – collecting donations from public and private groups, organizing benefit concerts featuring acts from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Liberace, and even collecting pennies at local businesses – raising more than $3 million.

After months of painstaking restoration efforts, the Fox Theatre again opened its doors in 1975 to the joy of those who pulled it from the brink of disaster. Since then, the Fox has continued to evolve, firmly sewn into the fabric of Atlanta and remaining one of the city’s most cherished landmarks. The Fox Theatre Institute (FTI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of historic theaters, recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary by raising over $100,000 at the “Revival” benefit concert on September 13, 2019. To date, FTI has given more than $1 million to historic venues throughout the region.

Featuring a mix of well-known Georgians from CNN’s Robin Meade to an Atlanta resident who went on a date to the Fox with her now-husband, ‘I Am the Fox’ spots share poetic scripts that tell the story of the theatre’s personality and history. The commentary of the speakers not only describes themselves, but also the majestic Theatre – highlighting the story of the individual along with elements of the Fox’s identity -- including magic, tradition, glamour and grit. The WITH/agency, an Atlanta-based advertising and creative firm, partnered with the Fox Theatre to conceptualize and produce the brand campaign.

“The Fox is not just an entertainment venue. It’s part of Atlanta’s soul,” said Jamie Vosmeier, vice president of sales and marketing at the Fox Theatre. “For the first time, we’ve taken the opportunity to allow the Fox to tell her own story, in the first person. The magic within these walls is getting to be shared in a way that’s not been communicated before now.”