Sunrise Theatre

The Sunrise Theatre (also known as the Sunrise Building) is a historic theater in Fort Pierce, Florida. It is located at 117 South 2nd Street. Built in 1922 by builder C.E. Cahow, the Sunrise Theatre was designed in the Mediterranean Revival Style by architect John N. Sherwood. The theatre earned its reputation for becoming the cultural center of the city of Fort Pierce as well as being the greatest and biggest cultural institution in Florida at the time. At the time it had the largest stage between Jacksonville and Miami. It was designed for plays, movies and variety shows. In 1930 the young A.E. Backus became resident artist for the theater. Backus created displays and posters for the theatre's films and celebrity appearances. Opening day was August 1, 1923. 
Closure.
The theater closed in 1983 after it had fallen into disrepair. It later partially reopened in 1999 after a $750,000 grant was awarded to renovate and restore the structure to its former condition. On December 7, 2001, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. 
Renaissance.
After a complete renovation including adding additional support areas in 2005, the venue opened in January 2006. It now presents a wide variety of entertainment events from local groups to world-famous artists such as Willie Nelson, Bill Cosby, Itzhak Perlman, Diana Ross, 3 Dog Night, Lindsey Buckingham, Bryan Adams, Vince Gill, Tony Bennett, Ziggy Marley, the late Dave Brubeck plus Operas, Broadway Shows, Ballet, Rock and Jazz.