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Tivoli Foundation Chooses AC Entertainment To Operate, Program Chattanooga Venues

The Knoxville company that co-produces Bonnaroo and books acts at Chattanooga's Track 29 will manage the Tivoli Theatre and Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium.

From a media release:

The Tivoli Theatre Foundation Board, organized to take the reins of the Tivoli Theatre and the Soldier and Sailor Memorial Auditorium from the City on July 1, 2015, announced today that it has selected A.C. Entertainment to manage and program the venues.

AC was chosen after a national search and process that produced proposals from leading players in venue management.   Ultimately, AC’s track record in transforming Knoxville’s Historic Tennessee Theatre and its 106 year old neighbor, the Bijou Theatre, into vibrant, active performance centers and exciting catalysts for downtown development seemed like the ideal approach for reviving Chattanooga’s iconic Tivoli Theatre and breathing new life into the Memorial Auditorium.

“We are honored to be chosen and extremely excited about the opportunity here in Chattanooga,” said Ashley Capps, AC Entertainment’s founder and CEO.  “There’s already so much vitality and energy in this city, and we’re looking forward to being a part of that.  We know firsthand how much actively and creatively programmed venues can add to a community.”

“When the Mayor decided to set up the Foundation to oversee the evolution of Chattanooga’s downtown venues, his number one goal was to increase activity and get more people downtown,” said Foundation Chairman Keith Sanford. “We made that a key criteria in choosing a management and booking firm. When we compared the number and quality of events that AC Entertainment has consistently booked and produced in the other facilities that it manages with other comparable venues, it was clear that their approach brings the energy, vision, and leadership needed to accomplish that goal.”

“We are successful concert and event producers, promoters, and creators, as well as successful venue managers,” said AC founder Ashley Capps. “In all of these areas, our focus is on insuring an unforgettable experience – for the audiences as well as the artists – each and every time.  That’s our guiding principle in whatever we do.”

AC Entertainment has operated and programmed the Historic Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville since 1996 and help guide the theater through its $30 million renovation in 2003 – 2004.   Since then, the Tennessee has experienced steady growth in activity and unprecedented success.  It has also served as a key factor in downtown Knoxville’s remarkable transformation into a vital and active city center.  In 2006, then-Mayor Bill Haslam asked AC Entertainment to re-open Knoxville’s historic vaudeville-style theater, the Bijou.  The Bijou has now also experienced consistent and growing success in the ensuing 9 years, its first successful run since in its modern history as a performing arts venue.

“This will be a great partnership for the Tivoli, for Memorial Auditorium and for the Walker Community Theatre,” said Sanford. “All of Chattanooga and the surrounding area will soon be seeing more activity…in the theaters, on social media, in advertising and general talk around town.”

The Tivoli opened on March 19, 1921 following two years of construction. Construction cost was close to $1 million--a lavish sum for its day. The Tivoli's interior reflects the Beaux Arts style popular for movie palaces of the 1920s. Its high domed ceiling, grand lobby, crystal chandeliers and elegant foyer were designed to transport patrons to a world of richness and splendor. Designed by the Chicago-based architectural firm of Rapp and Rapp, the Tivoli was built to accommodate both silent movies and live stage productions, making it state-of-the-art for its time. It has undergone several renovations. It seats just over 1,750.

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium opened on February 22, 1924, created as a living memorial to Hamilton County war veterans. First proposed at a Kiwanis Club meeting in 1918, Memorial Auditorium was designed as a municipal auditorium and all-purpose exhibition hall. Built by the City of Chattanooga at a cost of $700,000. Its seating capacity is 4,800. The Walker Community Theatre is housed within the Memorial and seats 700.

All three facilities have been owned and operated by the City, and Mayor Andy Berke wanted to explore new ideas to breathe life into the underused venues.  This initiative led to establishing the Tivoli Foundation to guide and oversee a fresh approach that would maximize their potential.

One of the top independent promoters in the world, AC Entertainment is internationally recognized as co-founders/producers of the renowned Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival ®, cited as “One of the 50 Moments that Changed the History of Rock and Roll” by Rolling Stone magazine. AC also created and produces the widely acclaimed Big Ears Festival (Knoxville, TN) and produces Louisville’s longstanding signature Forecastle Festival. In 2015, ACE co-founded and launched the WayHome Music & Arts Festival in Ontario, Canada, the Sloss Music & Arts Festival in Birmingham, AL, and AFROPUNK in Atlanta, GA. AC Entertainments also presents more than 1,000 concerts annually, including exclusive booking of top-ranking Southeastern venues (Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Marathon Music Works and Exit/In in Nashville, Tenn.; The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC; Track 29 in Chattanooga, Tenn.; Minglewood Hall and Live at the Garden in Memphis, Tenn.; and South Carolina’s Music Farm clubs in Charleston and Columbia). The company has offices in Knoxville and Nashville and manages two of Knoxville, Tenn.’s landmark venues: the Historic Tennessee Theatre and Bijou Theatre. Client services include event and venue consulting, production, and management as well as booking and marketing.