The Process

A Community Gem

Royal Oak Presents

At 7:45 A.M Royal Oak native Rob Fortner wakes to the rumbling of the nearby train. It is Thursday, but not just any Thursday. Tonight Modest Mouse will be performing at the Royal Oak Music Theatre. Located in the heart of downtown Royal Oak, Rob calls home to a two-bedroom apartment no more than a block from the theatre. Like many in his community, Rob is passionate for arts and entertainment. While walking the streets with a freshly shaved beard, he encounters fellow citizens expressing their shared passions.

The streets are filled with youthful exuberance, from commuters at the community college, to musicians in the street. Rob is reminded of a college town when afoot in the streets he proudly calls home, “There’s always something going on, people coming, people going, I really believe it creates a common bond in the community.”  The Royal Oak Music Theatre serves as the epicenter of it all. Located at 4^th and Lafayette, the historic venue plays host to over 100 shows annually.

Originally owned by Detroit area businessman and film house entrepreneur John H. Kunsky, the Royal Oak Music Theatre opened its doors in 1928. “Its original incarnation was a movie/vaudeville house and the city of Royal Oak launched its civic week on the theatre’s opening day. More than 3,000 people lined up on opening night,” said General Manager Justin Miller.

It quickly made its mark as one of Detroit’s finest suburban theatres. Rob discusses the role the theatre plays in the community, “Especially for Royal Oak it’s a huge draw, not only is it a beautiful venue in a great location, but it brings people to Royal Oak creating a great environment for the community.” It wasn’t until 1978 that programming moved toward hosting live music and comedy.

From movie house to concert venue, the theatre has undergone many changes throughout its 80-year history, and remains a viable institution in the ever-changing entertainment industry. From the first day the theater opened as the Kunsky Royal Oak, the art-deco Royal Oak Music Theatre continues to shine as a first-class venue in a city that is synonymous with entertainment.

When asked what makes the theatre so unique, Miller shed further light on its communal significance, “The theatre is a living piece of history. Royal Oak has a good number of life long residents and I would venture to guess that the vast majority of them have a memory or two tied to the theatre. Folks remember coming to matinee’s as a child or seeing their first concert here. I think the relationship the community has with this theatre is rare especially when you consider we’re in the suburbs, not a major city. Couple that with the architecture and energy that lives here and I think the theatre offers a unique experience to folks that have been coming here for years or for those who walk through the doors for the first time.”

Rob recalls his first time walking through the majestic theatre’s doors for an Atmosphere concert, “It was incredible. I had heard good things but it’s not the same as walking through the door for the first time. The theatre was so beautifully lit, I felt shivers.” The Royal Oak Music Theatre offers a taste of big city living, in the dynamic yet comfortable and communal streets of citizens’ own back yards. Shedding light on the diversity of talent attracted Rob continues, “I’ve really seen some really great shows there, not just music, but some serious stand-up, Bob Saget, Lewis Black, rock shows, Snoop Dogg, Atmosphere. The Royal Oak Music Theatre attracts a lot of big names and great acts.”

The long list of eclectic and unforgettable performances at the Royal Oak Music Theatre includes The White Stripes, *NSYNC, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Duran Duran, George Clinton & The Parliament Funkadelic, Hank Williams Jr., Iggy Pop, Run D.M.C., Violent Femmes, Bauhaus, Donovan, Mike Epps, John Heffron, Charlie Murphy, Donnell Rawlings & Bill Burr, Ben Folds and Our Lady of Peace.

The Royal Oak theatre was designed by Rapp and Rapp, it is an excellent example of true art deco, with stylized floral relief work and geometric shapes. It is of the “shallow balcony” that many late R&R houses featured. Built for the Kunksy Chain, it was part of a suburban Detroit “holy trinity” of like-sized houses, the Birmingham, the Royal Oak and the Redford. They all had identically equipped Barton 3-10 organs, the consoles varied to match the theatre interiors, and they were sold on the same contract, and had sequential opus numbers.

The Royal Oak was operated by the community theatre chain until the mid 70′s. The lobbies suffered from dropped ceilings during this time. The first concert held at the newly re-christened “Royal Oak music theatre” was Maria Muildar, in 1975. Various promoters have operated the theatre as a mainly rock concert venue for the last 30 years.

The show ends and amongst the masses Rob spills out into the streets. With both bars and home as walkable options, the night is young for this and many other members of the Royal Oak community.