A medium-shot, behind-the-scenes photograph of Devin Dominguez performing a site inspection at the Tampa Theatre in Tampa, Florida, on May 27, 2026. Dominguez is seen from behind, wearing a green hard hat and a beige button-down shirt with rolled-up sleeves. They are reaching up with both hands, pointing toward an ornate, gilded architectural cornice featuring oval-shaped cutouts. The auditorium is filled with metal construction scaffolding, and the scene is illuminated by warm, localized work lighting against the dimly lit, expansive interior of the theater. — Devin Dominguez at Tampa Theatre in Tampa, Florida on May 27, 2026. Credit: Dave Decker / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

Tampa Theatre is in the midst of its centennial restoration, and now a book chronicling 100 years of the historic venue has a release date.

University Press of Florida says “Tampa Theatre: A Century of Stories” will hit shelves this fall. It’s the final work from beloved University of South Florida librarian and historian Andy Huse, who died last August.

In an interview with Creative Loafing Tampa Bay the week of Huse’s death, Tampa Theatre’s Vice President and Director of Marketing & Community Relations Jill Witecki said that internally, the venue knew it had to do more than a coffee book to mark 100 years on Franklin Street.

“There was a bigger and better and more important story there about Tampa theater’s first century,” she said.

Leah LoSchiavoDoan, who works in operations at Tampa Theatre, recommended her neighbor, “Andy.”

Realizing his body of work, including a book on the Columbia Restaurant centennial, Witecki’s team knew they had found the perfect person.

This month, Witecki will speak about the centennial at the local library in Palm Harbor.

There’s no cover for “Tampa Theatre: 100 Years of Movie Magic” happening Wednesday, June 10 at East Lake Community Library in Palm Harbor.

Tampa Theatre: 100 Years of Movie Magic

Time Wed., June 10, 6-7 p.m.

Location East Lake Community Library, 4125 East Lake Road, Palm Harbor

For 18 months, Witecki added, Huse interviewed dozens of people, drawing stories out and matching them to artifacts, including many that appear in the final 246-page work due Sept. 26.

In his book, Huse chronicles the story of the local theater since its beginnings on Oct. 15, 1926. Classic photographs and details of its origins from past members, performers and former employees can be seen displayed in his book.

It’s hard not to think of Huse when visiting the theater during its big renovation happening right now.

Tours started last month, and Devin Dominguez, Vice President and Director of Development at the theater, told CL about how she found countless new artifacts and lost items scattered about.

“And when Tampa Theater opened in 1926 there was a cloud machine that worked,” Dominguez said about one special treasure she unearthed and restored. “It looked like there were clouds that were slowly living through the sky. We found that machine.”

Dominguez also mentioned the $6 million fundraiser which will include full restoration of the peacock room and some new enhancements to the sky.

“The next phase of work is $6 million, and we’ve already started fundraising towards that,” said Dominguez. “ That will include a full restoration of the organ, and it will include the peacock room and add some new enhancements for the sky, as well as some production technology for sound.”

The book cover for 'Tampa Theatre: A Century of Stories' by Andrew T. Huse. The image features a vibrant, dusk-lit exterior photograph of the historic Tampa Theatre in Tampa, Florida. The theater's iconic vertical neon sign glows brightly against a deep blue evening sky, and its marquee displays the text 'WELCOME TO THE SHOW!' in bold white letters. Below, the street scene shows blurred light trails from passing traffic, with mature trees framing the left side of the composition. To the left of the theater, the title is written in large, elegant white serif font, with the author's name in a smaller, clean sans-serif typeface above it. — The cover of Tampa Theatre: A Century of Stories of the history of Tampa Theatre’ Credit: University Press of Florida

Dominguez further explained her vision for the peacock room which is being built to be a bar-reception space that will allow attendees to sit and talk amongst each other about the film or show they had just seen. She explained this was a way to engage in the mission for the Tampa Theatre — a way for people to come together.

Other aspects of the project includes the expansion of the education wing in their upstairs facing the Florida avenue side. They will use more than 3,000 square feet of underutilized office and storage space, according to Tampa Theatre website.

Many parts of the restoration project are meant to pay homage to the original theater design by famous Chicago-based architect John Eberson. This includes fresh coats of paint original to Tampa Theatre’s beginnings coming to decorative columns that can be seen surrounding the stage, the trim at each of the seating levels that faces the stage and the theater’s staple night sky that hovers over performing art viewers. The night sky in the theater is expected to be fully painted before June.

One part that won’t change is the kitty toilet in the women’s room. In fact, the theater went all the way to St. Louis to make sure it found the same rare material called vitrolite for all the bathrooms.

“All of these rooms in Tampa Theater have the last door that has the silhouette of these cats, and the toilet is the miniature toilet, because it’s the kitty toilet,” Dominguez said.

Restoration methods include restoring the plaster used for underneath the balconies used horse hair originally to stabilize the material. Now, the historical theater is using hemp to restore the balconies.

Huse died from suicide last year but had an extensive career authoring works like, “The Cuban Sandwich: A History in Layers”, revealing the long history of Cuban and Florida heritage through the iconic sandwiches evolution.

Huse would’ve loved to see the next chapter of the theater, but for now, friends and family will cling to a book that details the crucial history of Tampa that lives on through its home theater.