There are many historic buildings and places to see in Georgie; however, not so many in Thomaston, Georgia. This state contains 59,441 square miles. Within 300 miles of Thomaston, Ga. there are several exhibits, museums, arts centers, and many more you can see or visit. My personal favorite is where my hometown theatre is based off of, 'The Ritz'. .
The Ritz is originally in Brunswick, Georgia. The building itself was built in 1899 and made of unpainted brick; it was then painted white to have a more modern feel. It is a 3 story Victorian building originally built to be the Grand Opera House. It featured ornate brick and stone work that was used for the legitimate stage. .
When I went to see this historical building, I learned more than I ever thought I would about any historic place. The Ritz served as a theater for vaudeville. Vaudeville is a theatrical genre of variety entertainments. It was the most popular in the U.S. and Canada from the 1880's to the 1930's. This was a series of separate unrelated acts grouped together on what they called a common bill. In the 1920's motion pictures became more popular, which is when the Opera house converted into a movie palace. To give the building a more up to date feeling and Art Deco look the first story's brick was covered with Carrera glass and an elaborate marquee then a cascading sign. Hence, the Opera House became The Ritz Theatre. The world's premiere of "A View from Pompey's Hand" was introduced and showed at the Ritz Theatre; coincidently, the film was primarily filmed right across from the Ritz at Oglethorpe Hotel. .
In the 60's and 70's the single movie houses, including the Ritz Theatre, fell into a decline. After this decline, in 1981 the City of Brunswick purchased the Ritz Theatre. They immediately began modernizing and altering the building again because the roof was collapsing over the auditorium. Through all of the substantial altering, the Ritz sign stayed intact.
