Alabama, Lyric theaters hope to benefit from coronavirus relief bill funding

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — With months of event and program cancellations due to the coronavirus pandemic, both the Alabama and Lyric theaters in Birmingham have struggled in 2020.

Now that the coronavirus relief bill has been signed into law, live entertainment venues and movie theaters across the nation are expected to benefit from about $15 billion through the Save Our Stages Act.

Venues that apply can receive up to 45% of the revenue they earned in 2019 through grants from the federal government. A GoFundMe Campaign named “Save the Alabama and Lyric Theatres” is underway to raise money to support both venues.

The ultimate goal is to raise $500,000 to be back fully operational. As of Monday, over $300,000 had been raised.

“This year we’ve seen how much the people of Alabama really love the Alabama Theatre and the Lyric Theatre,” Brant Beene, executive director of Birmingham Landmarks, said. “We get cards and letters, we get checks for $5 for $2500 and we’ve even had people donate their musical instruments.”

Since both of the venues were built more than a century ago, a lot of funds are required for the upkeep so they can continue to serve the community for many years to come. If you want to help them in their recovery efforts amid the pandemic, click here.