Sandpoint, ID

Officially called the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox

Originally opened in 1931, this Art Deco showpiece is truly an irreplaceable treasure. If you get an opportunity, step through the doors and into the opulent history of entertainment into a calmer, more formal era of showmanship. This is a place worth going out of your way for, dressing up for and spending an evening with your favorite person in.

When we first attended a concert at the Fox several years ago, we saw the incredible David Byrne. Though the theater was not restored yet, he recognized the significance of such a classic building and said he was proud to be performing in it. You could feel its potential and the gravity of the theater’s past. You could see it, too, through broken glass panels and on dingy walls. Byrne, The Talking Heads front man and all-around artist was pro-restoration and praised Spokane for their foresight in preserving the Fox.

After many painstaking years, the theater has been completely restored to its original splendor. Each glistening fixture includes every piece of etched glass it arrived with over 77 years ago. Each wall is painted in the very specific cloudy pastels of the era. Even the carpet patterns are authentic from that period. Pretty, organic paintings cover the walls and ceilings. One of the most beautiful panels to me is a middle teal color and includes symbolized seed pods or flowers dripping down from the ceiling into the main theater space. Also present are many peachy tones in several gradations and plenty of antique gold gilding. It looks as if fantasy wallpaper has been applied to every surface, studded on the ceiling with mirrored tridents. Cleverly incorporated into recesses in the paintings are high-tech lights and equipment needed to put on a modern performance, with all the digital wizardry that entails. Even the subtle ding-dong bell calling you back to the show after intermission sounds authentic.

This trip to the Fox, we saw the incredible world music band Orchestra Baobab perform. Their formidable 11-piece sound was well-represented in this acoustically excellent space and they had plenty of room to set up all their instruments and band members on the large stage.

We traveled from Sandpoint on a weeknight to visit the Fox Theater for the concert, and it was worth every mile and every dollar in gas money. Learn which excellent acts are up next at the Fox at the web site: http://www.foxtheaterspokane.com.