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Overton Park Shell
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Address
Save Our Shell, Inc. Contact John Larkin at shellparkinglot@aol.com
1928 Poplar Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
901.274.6046
A BIT OF HISTORY
1933-34
Ralph Dunbar produces two summer seasons of light opera and theater on a dirt stage at the foot of a natural bowl shaped slope in Overton Park. Dunbar begins to advocate the construction of a permanent amphitheater on the site.
1936
The Overton Park Orchestra Shell is constructed for $11,935 by the Work Progress Administration (WPA) and the City of Memphis. The facility has enough wooden benches for 4,000 people and is dominated by the reinforced concrete orchestra shell patterned after the acoustical designs of similar shells in New York, Chicago, and St. Louis.
Sept.13, 1936
Dedication ceremonies are attended by 6,000 as the newly formed Memphis Symphony Orchestra performs. The dedication program calls the Shell "A pledge to the future of music in Memphis".
1937
The Memphis Open Air Theatre (MOAT) produces the first of fourteen seasons of light opera and musicals.
1947
The Memphis Federation of Musicians inaugurates its "Music Under the Stars Program" series which will provide six to eight events over thirty years to come.
July 30, 1954
Elvis Presley steals the show from headliner Slim Whitman in what music historians worldwide regard as "The First Rock and Roll Show". Elvis is billed as "Ellis Presley".
1974
The fence is removed and the Shell resumes a schedule of free performances, thus ending the controversy over rock concerts.
1982
At the request of the National Council of Christians and Jews, the Shell is named after Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat responsible for saving thousands of Jews from Nazi death camps.
In 1985, the stage of the Raoul Wallenberg Shell in Overton Park remained dark for the first season since its construction. Many Memphians thought the dormant and somewhat dilapidated amphitheater was doomed to be displaced by a parking lot. Late in 1985, volunteers began repairs to the facility at NO COST to the city. A petition drive was begun, weekly meetings were held and the "Save Our Shell" committee was born.
1986-2003
Save Our Shell (SOS) Inc. has provided quality entertainment since 1986. Year 2002 - 54 performances for 63,000 people. Year 2003 - 63 performances for 75,000 people.
October 2004 City of Memphis closes the Shell once again..............
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Well, the big city that thinks like a backwoods town has closed the Shell. They say we have three years to come up with the $$$ to do the repairs. I like to think I am a realist, but folks say I'm more of a pessimist. I don't see the Shell ever opening again. I hope I am wrong.
The guys, John, Emory, and Leon, who have for years done repairs, cleaning, and attended the hundreds of details necessary to produce shows (at no cost to the city), have been told to vacate the building and then the doors will be locked. It will make a nice home for vagrants, druggies, rapists and murderers until the arsonists get to it.
Just my opinion but I find it suspicious that the city chose this time to get rid of the Shell, with the opening of the FedEx Forum and its non-compete clause.
Sadly, there has been a lot of bickering and finger-pointing among the Shellites...mostly from the ones that never lifted a broom or weed-eater, never scrubbed a toilet, never brought food to the working volunteers, never did anything but show up on ocassion, count $$..disappear with these $$, and hollar about how much they loved the Shell.
Edit 12/05/04 It has come to my attention that certain people are claiming that $$$ has disappeared from the Shell fund....people that were in charge of the Shell fund...Hmmmm... be careful if you wish to donate! I have also been informed that the Shell may be given over to the Levitt Foundation. While they can save the Shell...it will not be the community forum that it has been.
Goodbye, Grand Old Lady.
Edit 1/08/2005 Happy B'day El! And ain't it nice that the City finally spent some $$$ on the Shell...to put a fence across the stage. Seems someone tried to break into the empty place...knew that there was no one there. Leon would be glad to stay...free...inside and keep the riffraff out but...no, the powers that be are so unconcerned.
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