You ain't seen nothin' yet!" exclaimed Al Jolsen in The Jazz Singer. The year was 1927 and it was the first spoken line in film history, ushering in the era of talkies.

Jolsen might well have been talking about the Grand Theater of Wausau which opened that same year. With a past that includes vaudeville, the last of the silent films, Frank Sinatra, Gene Autry and his horse Champion, and decades of Saturday movie specials, the Grand Theater is looking forward to its best years still ahead.

The historic Grand Theater is the centerpiece of ARTSblock, one of Wisconsin's most dynamic arts complexes, and an exciting feature of Wausau's downtown renaissance.

A $13.3 Million renovation project completed in 2002 linked the Grand Theater to two century-old structures. In addition to returning the 1200 seat theater to pristine condition, new function space was added for the exhibitions at the Center for the Visual Arts. The block long facility also contains the new 300 seat Great Hall created for smaller presentations, business and social events.

Since Bill Cosby opened ARTSblock in October 2002, legendary artists as diverse as violinist Itzhak Perlman and bluesman B.B. King have been performing on this historic stage. Broadway shows, comedians, ballets, symphonies, and even acrobats have appeared at the Grand Theater. Check out the spring schedule for 2007 in the Calendar of Events section of the Visitors Magazine for Lily Tomlin, Manheim Steamroller, Lyle Lovett, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, performances of Riverdance and more.

Serving a region the size of New Hampshire and Vermont put together, ARTSblock director Jim O'Connell promises more of the same in the fall. "We never claim that every show is for everybody," he says. "But if you can't find something you like at the Grand, you're just not paying attention."

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the ARTSblock ticket office at 401 N. Fourth Street in downtown Wausau, telephone 715/842-0988 (or toll-free from Wisconsin 888/239-0421), or check the website at www.onartsblock.org

Clockwise from top: ARTSblock on Fourth Street in downtown Wausau at night. The Grand Theater's renovated interior is truly beautiful. The Great Hall showcases numerous performances.  The ARTSblock entrance to the Great Hall and Grand Theater. Photos provided by the Performings Arts Foundation.