After falling into disrepair in the 1980s, this great old movie house of vaudeville fame in downtown Tucson has been successfully revived by an energetic local non-profit organization. It's now back in its old decadent glory, complete with 1,200 comfortable seats. It has also become a main venue for touring blues and rock musicians. So if you plan to watch a great concert, head to the Rialto Theatre to witness scintillating performances.
Built in 1927, the Temple of Music and Art is a proper cultural arts venue. Constructed in an elegant, Southwestern style, the Temple breathes grace and class with its beautiful surroundings of cobbled stone, fountain–splashed patio, and quiet tree-lined street. Now home of the Arizona Theatre Company, the spacious Alice Holsclaw Theatre with its 623 seats is a marvelous place to see either Shakespeare or concerts. If a smaller, more intimate setting is desired for a performance, upstairs the Temple has the Cabaret Theatre available.
This building, designed in 1929 by Los Angeles architect M. Eugene Durfee, once belonged to the chain of movie theaters showing Fox Studio productions and was decorated with those Art Deco motifs that were typical of the movie houses of the period. After long years of falling into disrepair and neglect since 1974, it is now in the process of being renovated and revitalized, due to the much-publicized efforts of a group of conservationist citizens. Today it hosts a variety of live performances, including concerts, musicals, and lectures.