Located on Norfolk’s historic Church Street, one of the oldest thoroughfares in the city, the Attucks Theatre was originally known as the “Apollo of the South.”
Designed by African-American architect Harvey Johnson, the theatre opened in 1919, and showcased a host of legendary performers such as Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Mamie Smith, Nat King Cole, and Redd Foxx. The Attucks Theatre is named in honor of African-American Crispus Attucks, the first American patriot to lose his life in the 1770 Boston Massacre. For 34 years, the theatre remained a vibrant performing arts facility, but ceased functioning in 1953. In 1977, the United States Congress deemed The Attucks Theatre a National Historic Landmark, and after a restoration period of three years, the theatre was reopened in 2004 by a partnership between the City of Norfolk’s Department of Cultural Facilities and the Crispus Attucks Cultural Center, Inc.
