St. Paul, Virginia, welcomes the Lyric back for a grand opening and shows.
Photo Above: The 1950s-era Lyric Theater is celebrating its rebirth in January.
Rising like a phoenix on Broad Street in St. Paul, Virginia, the Lyric Theater is now entering its final construction phase.
The Lyric dates to 1950—a time when this town on the Clinch River was a coal commerce center. Today, St. Paul has become a destination for eco-interested visitors wanting to learn more about Wetlands Estonoa—the town’s “former mud puddle”—or the rare mussels and vast fish diversity of the Clinch River, to book a stay at the suave Western Front Hotel and to sample suds at the lively Sugar Hill Brewing Company, next to the Lyric Theater.
For the town, the lyric’s 200-seat theater and its freshly constructed conference rooms make it a much-needed asset, says Kathy Stewart, the manager of the town’s Main Street program, which has helped shepherd the Lyric’s new life.
It was not an easy feat for this brick structure, considering the theater had been sitting vacant since the 1980s. Rot had set in.
“After it closed, it went through several owners,” says Stewart. “One of the owners had stripped the building completely—and had taken out all of the seats and taken all of the fabric off the wall.”
Fundraising began in 2014 and, after netting $4 million, now closes this year with the final renovations, says Stewart. “We’re moving from construction to programs.”
Upcoming at the Lyric:
Jan. 4: Grand Opening.
Jan. 21: Daniel Davis & Friends perform gospel and folk.
Feb. 25: Mardi Gras party featuring Ron Short and the Possum Playboys.
Stpaulmainstreet.org; 276-395-0685.
The story above first appeared in our January / February 2023 issue.
