Concert jazzing up Lyric Theater's bid for a renaissance

The Black Archives and Research Foundation of South Florida will host the 1996 Jazz in the Afternoon series, its sixth musical event to promote the 83-year-old theater.

This year's theme is Serenade to the Lyric Theater, and features performers like the 21st Century Steel Drum Orchestra and the Ike Woods' Blues Jazz Band and Co. The concert will be 3 p.m. Saturday on a north-side lot next to the theater, 819 NW Second Ave.

Derek Davis, executive director of Black Archives, said the free event is vital for Lyric to muster support in Overtown.

The theater is the anchor of the Historic Folk Life Village, a movement created to restore structures in Overtown's Little Broadway district, which boomed during the 1950s.

Davis believes future area renovations could hinge upon successful completion of the Lyric.

``The community needs to support the Lyric Theater in every way possible,'' he said.

There is no telling when the project will be complete, however. An architect is working on plans for expanding the theater, about seven years after construction started in 1989.

During that time, a new roof was installed and structural columns were replaced. A mural also was painted on the side of the building.

So far, $583,305 has been spent to buy the building and for administrative costs. The project could cost about $2 million to complete, said Davis, who is seeking funding sources.

``We would like to see the renovations go faster, but we are well on our way,'' he said.