The Lyric Theatre: One of Swift Current's "Grand Buildings"

Historical Timeline: 1912 - Present

1912:

• Lyric Theatre constructed at a cost of $50,000 - one of the oldest remaining theatres in Saskatchewan.
• The original purpose of the building is for Vaudeville shows and silent movies. Vaudeville was a form of live entertainment for all ages that combined music, dance, animal tricks, magic acts, theatrical monologues and slapstick comedy routines.
• The opening performance, a musical entitled The Red Rose, featured a cast of 70 performers.
• Steel girders used to support the ceiling in the main theatre, removing any sightline obstructions.

1918:

• Jack Lundholm, a Swedish electrician, starts work as projectionist at the Lyric; he later became owner and operated the theatre until 1960.
• Upper level of the building used as an isolation hospital during the Spanish Flu epidemic.

1930:

• RCA Photophone Sound Projector installed by Jack Lundholm; the Lyric shows its first "talkie", Maurice Chevallier's The Love Parade.

1954:

• Lundholm renovates again, this time filling in the orchestra pit and removing the stage, thus ending the Lyric's Vaudeville era.

1955-1979:

• The Lyric operates as a popular movie house, beloved to many in the community.

1980:

• The Lyric is sold and converted into a nightclub. Much of the building's history including the lighted sign, sloped floor, fixed seating and other memorabilia is removed at this time.

1980-2003:

• The sting of nightclubs continues, ending with the Inferno. The building stands abandoned.

January 2005:

• The Southwest Cultural Development Group (SCDG) is formed with the purpose of converting the building into a Community Cultural Centre.

March 26, 2006:

• The SCDG re-opens the theatre with a sold-out performance entitled "Vaudeville Revisited", bringing the history of the building full-circle.