Lyric Theatre stands strong

by Sydney Gagnon–

With a brand new decade on the horizon, it’s difficult not to notice how much downtown Blacksburg has changed over time. This past year alone, Hokies mourned the losses of Sycamore Deli, Poor Billy’s and Big Al’s. Countless more venues have faded from memory over time and there’s no telling which establishment could be next on the chopping block.

That being said, there is still one venue in Blacksburg that has managed to stand the test of time: the Lyric Theatre. The self-proclaimed Heart of Blacksburg is easy to spot on College Ave. thanks to its iconic architecture — a 1930s blend of Art Deco and Spanish Colonial Revival.

“The Theatre first opened in 1909 as a small storefront silent movie house,” stated Susan Mattingly, Executive Director for the Lyric Theatre. “As films became more popular, the Theatre moved three times and this is the fourth location. When it [the current building] opened in 1930, it was only the third theatre in the state of Virginia built for talking pictures.”

The advent of home film distribution forced the Lyric to go dark in 1989. Not long after, the Lyric Council was formed with the intention of restoring the theatre to its former glory. In 1998, the Lyric reopened as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Today, the Lyric still stands proud on College Avenue. It boasts a wide variety of shows for Hokies and townies to attend.

“We are a movie house first, but we like to think of the Lyric as more of a community center,” stated James Arthur, General Manager of the Lyric. “In addition to movies, we host concerts. We host all sorts of special events for the community.”