The U premiere

enter to win tickets at http://www.rakontur.com/contest

Last week, we decided to break with rakontur tradition and move the premiere of The U from the Colony Theater on Lincoln Road to the Historic Lyric Theater in Downtown Miami on Wednesday, December 9th:

Opened in 1913, the Lyric Theater quickly became a major entertainment center for blacks in Miami. The 400-seat theater was built, owned and operated by Geder Walker, a black man from Georgia. In 1915 the Miami Metropolic newspaper described the Lyric Theater as, "possibly the most beautiful and costly playhouse owned by Colored people in all the Southland." The Lyric Theater served as a symbol of black economic influence, as well as a social gathering place-free of discrimination- and a source of pride and culture within Overtown.

The theater anchored the district know as "Little Broadway," an area alive with hotels, restaurants and nightclubs frequented by the black and white tourists and residents. Clyde Killens, a local resident and entertainment promoter, was primarily responsible for bringing black entertainers -- who could perform in the clubs on Miami Beach but not stay in the hotels -- to Overtown, the Lyric Theater and "Little Broadway."

The Lyric Theater's roster of stars was spectacular as the theater itself -- featuring over 150 performers including Count Basie, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, the Ink Spots, B.B. King, Patti LaBelle, Ella Fitzgerald, Redd Foxx and Mary Wells.

In the film, we chronicle UM coach Howard Schnellenberger's unprecedented efforts to recruit players from Miami's riot-torn neighborhoods of Overtown and Liberty City in the early 1980s.  The Lyric Theater borders some of the neighborhoods hardest hit by poverty and dispair, but luckily its rich cultural significance has been guarded by preservationists and historians.  These days The Black Archives runs the theater and we are thrilled to be able to premiere The U there.

The December 9th premiere is inivitation-only, but we are giving away five pairs of tickets on Tuesday, December 8th.  Go to rakontur.com/contest for more details.

790 The Ticket (790 AM) will also be giving away pairs of tickets starting tomorrow.

Comments

[Corey Shearer]

Went to the opening and saw among others Melvin Bratton #5, Dan Le Batard (listened to his show on way over, so I know he rushed to get there), Brett Perriman #33, Tolbert Bain #18, Uncle Luke (The god Pappa) , Bennie Blades #36, and Duane Starks #23. The movie was electric (we cheered, we booed, we laughed, we remebered). Corbin signed a promo I printed off his website (seemed impressed) that was nice of him. Melvin Bratton is without a doubt a stand up guy and one of the best statesmen to come out of UM (and not just off the football field either) - PROUD OF HIM.

This is a time (we don't even have to say special time - but it was) that everyone remembers as a reference point in their lives. I remember sneaking down to the Carolina Game in the Orange Bowl in 1988 with my high school football buddy Brian "No Shoulders" Oulton. I remember UM beating them and then really beating on them. Brian and I always have that game to reminisce about when we see each other every couple years or so.

I met my old friend Peri at a UM game and we got to catch up. His daugther is actually named after my mom Jasmin. My friend Reed cooked for us and a bunch of homeless guys outside of a UM Bowl game. I still remeber how those guys helped us set up because they took one look at Reed and knew that the slogan "Will Work for Food" was going to deliver some good chow that day ;-).

UM's current administration better respect these memories and the thousands of others... GUESS WHAT?? IT REALLY HAPPENED!! Respectfully, Corey Shearer recent Georgetown Grad, lifetime UM Fan