Happy 100th!
By Allison McCrory Photos by Kate Treick Photography
A century ago, in 1925, Pensacola was on the move. Gulf Power and the Pensacola Country Club were forming. And a landmark like the town had never seen opened its doors on April 2 and forever changed the landscape and culture of downtown Pensacola.
Star-struck patrons flocked to the new crown jewel called the Saenger Theatre for silent movies and Vaudeville shows. An original Morton theatre pipe organ was the regal centerpiece of the Grand Dame of Palafox.
The majestic theater, on the National Register of Historic Places, boasts a story rich with nationally acclaimed performers as well as lifetimes of hometown memories. If walls could talk, they would recount tales of the best of the best as well as the heart of the Gulf Coast.
Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, Robin Williams and Mikhail Baryshnikov have graced the Saenger’s original wood stage. But so have thousands of little Pensacola girls in tutus, Pensacola Children’s Chorus singers and school band instrumentalists. The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra regularly transports listeners to other worlds; Pensacola Opera’s beautiful arias transcend the emotional spectrum from belly laughs to heart-wrenching tragedy; and Ballet Pensacola brings The Nutcracker to the iconic stage each holiday season.
When Suzi Emerson returned to her hometown in the mid-’90s, she and her husband discovered the offerings of the Saenger and have been fans ever since, eventually becoming season ticket holders.
“We have had season tickets for about 12 years,” said Emerson, who annually purchases four tickets in the front row and shares them with family and friends.
To Emerson, the Saenger is much more than a breathtaking downtown jewel.
“I hope, besides the beauty of the theater, the Saenger teaches our children that there is a huge world out there with unlimited possibilities. You can’t ever dream too big.”
Like all historic structures, the Saenger needs attention and funding to maintain its beauty and viability. Enter Friends of the Saenger, who saved the Grand Dame from a proposed demolition in 1976. The collaboration of individuals, businesses and the University of West Florida worked in conjunction with the city to preserve the theater. The Duke Ellington Orchestra brought their magic to a 1981 grand reopening. The momentum continued with a 1995 addition of a spacious new lobby and a massive 2009 $15 million renovation restoring the theater’s original paint color and decor.
Now considered one of the best theaters in the country, the Saenger is still the first love of the group that saved it from destruction. Among Friends of the Saenger’s current missions: production equipment upgrades, restoration of the original pipe organ and advocating for arts and entertainment that maintain the Saenger’s status as premiere venue. It is work that does not go unnoticed by Saenger super fans.
“We are so lucky to have theater of this caliber in a city our size,” Emerson said.
“I hope, besides the beauty of the theater, the Saenger teaches our children that there is a huge world out there with unlimited possibilities. You can’t ever dream too big.”
— Suzi Emerson
Coming Soon to the “Grand Dame”
July 1: Ninja Kids LIVE ON STAGE:
Infinite Possibilities
July 18: Karlous Miller and Friends
July 26: The Greatest Showcase 2025
Aug. 1: Liverpool Legends:
The Complete Beatles Experience
Aug. 2: William Shatner Live On-Stage
with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Aug. 9: Devon Allman’s Blues Summit
Aug. 16: Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox — Magic & Moonlight Tour
Aug. 22: The Bellamy Brothers:
The Love Still Flows...
Sept. 6: Steven Ho: Is it An Emergency?
Sept. 14: RuPaul’s Drag Race
Werq The World 2025
Sept. 20: Danae Hays: The First Time Tour
Sept. 23: Lake Street Dive with Trousdale
Sept. 25: Not Dead Yet! -
John Cleese and the Holy Grail at 50
Sept. 27: Chris D’Elia: Straight Out
of the Multiverse
