Theater Under the Stars was founded in 1953 with Maurice B. Seltzer as head of Operations and enthusiastic support of then Mayor Wm. B. Hartsfield and the Fulton County Commissioners. Their aim was to present the finest entertainment at the lowest possible prices. Their first home was Chastain Amphitheatre, an outdoor theater with seating capacity of 6200.

Ticket prices started at $1.00 thereby allowing access to the arts for many.

In 1960 Chris Manos joined Theater Under the Stars and began moving things in a new direction. With aid from a generous grant he brought Opera Diva Blanche Thebom to Chastain Amphitheatre in the 'King and I'. 40,000 people filled the audience over the week, firmly establishing the star system for the organization.

Leonard Nimoy in "Fiddler on the Roof"

1964 brought further growth with the formation of the Winter Play Season presented at the intimate Peachtree Playhouse. The Winter Play Season was developed with the intention of producing popular plays with stars, using the latest offerings from Broadway.

The same year Grand Opera in the Park was formed to present both full length ballets and well known operas. Many people who would otherwise have never seen an opera, got a chance to see some of the finest performers in classic operas. One performance of 'La Traviata' brought Dorothy Kirsten, Richard Tucker and Robers Merrill to an audience of 11,000.

During this time Theater of the Stars continued to offer their full Summer season, amounting to a well-rounded season, and many new experiences for Atlanta theatre-goers.

Angela Lansbury in "Mame"

In 1965, with their full season firmly established they presented an additional offering of the Fine Play Season, adding yet another dimension to their growth. The Fine Play Season brought the best of classical theater to its audiences using the best of local talent in a resident company.

In 1968 the theater officially became THEATER OF THE STARS, moving their residence to the new Atlanta Civic Center.

In the same year, an offshoot of the managerial arm of Theater of the Stars under the heading of Municipal Theater created the Atlanta Repertory Theater Company, The Atlanta Opera Company, and the Atlanta Children's Theater.

In the '70's, Theater of the Stars continued to bring the finest in theatre entertainment to its audiences at the Atlanta Civic Center and the Peachtree Playhouse.

Jean Stapleton in "Drood"

In 1976 Theater of the Stars founded the Just Us Theater Co., an African-American theatre company whose goal it was to bring major African-American stars and authors to Atlanta while also using and developing the best local talent. It was Chris Manos' wish to support the development of such a group in hopes that it would someday become an independent theatre company of its own.

In 1979 Theater of the Stars expanded further by beginning to bring national touring companies to Atlanta on a regular basis. Theater Of The Stars has been host to these visiting companies as well as combining the talents of major stars with local performers to produce its own shows. In the past few years these shows have included the Broadway hits "Cats" and "42nd Street" to record breaking audience capacity.

Joel Grey in "Cabaret"

In 1981 the Peachtree Playhouse was set up as a separate entity of Theater of the Stars. While leasing out the theater to various arts organizations, some resident and some visiting, Theater of the Stars was responsible for the annual lease and expenses.

In 1988, Theater of the Stars moved their performances to the Fox Theatre, a world renowned facility. A winter of new musicals direct from Broadway was added to compliment the five decade old summer season. Plans for the future are currently being formulated to carry Theater of the Stars through the Millennium.

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