Woodlawn Theatre, a live music venue planned for the Birmingham suburb since 2019, is under construction and accepting bookings for late summer.
The renovation of the former Woodlawn Family Theatre, which operated from 1919 to 1957, will result in a 250-person-capacity venue for concerts, weddings and community events.
It will also house the Woodlawn Studio for the Mason Music Foundation, which provides scholarships for private music lessons to children who need financial assistance. Fifty Mason Music students are taking lessons in a temporary Woodlawn location. The new facility will accommodate 200 students per week.
The project is led by Will Mason, CEO of Mason Music and the Mason Music Foundation, and has support from Woodlawn United, REV Birmingham, the Woodlawn community and the City of Birmingham.
“Music reminds us that we have way more in common than things that divide us,” Mason said. “This feels like the right moment for the Woodlawn Theatre. We want this to be a positive addition to the neighborhood. We’ll be providing music education and child development opportunities, as well as making a positive impact on economic development and community pride.”
It will be a perfect venue for emerging music artists, says Scott Register, host of “Reg’s Coffee House” on Birmingham Mountain Radio and artists and repertoire representative for Think Indie.
“For every artist that can play a 500, 1,000, 2,500 cap venue, there are hundreds of developing artists that are still growing and in need of smaller venues to hone their craft and increase their following,” he said. “The Woodlawn Theatre will provide that home for artists. It’s essential to have venues of this capacity. Excited to have it here in Birmingham.”
