The Tropic has opened and closed three times under different owners since it was built in 1937. The Whitakers, of New Smyrna Beach, FL, lost about $45,000 since buying the theater last year. They also own All-American Sing-A-Long Entertainment, a retail supplier of karaoke and musical equipment.
"Moving into the karaoke business was a natural for them," says a music equipment dealer who has worked with the Whitakers since they arrived in Leesburg, a city of 16,000 permanent residents 45 miles northwest of Downtown Orlando.
The karaoke side of the building will seat 250, including 82 balcony seats. The stage side will accommodate 290 devotees.
The building's new life leaves Downtown Leesburg without a theater for the first time since Earl Fain built the structure and called it the Fain Theater in 1937. Developer Bill Cumbaa owned and operated the Tropic for 54 years before selling the property for an undisclosed price to the Whitakers last year.
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