Carter Barron Amphitheatre facts for kids
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Carter Barron
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 Carter Barron Amphitheatre
Location in District of Columbia
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| Former names | Sesquicentennial Amphitheatre (1949–1951) |
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| Address | 4850 Colorado Ave NW Washington, DC 20011 |
| Location | U.S. |
| Coordinates | 38°57′01″N 77°02′30″W / 38.9502918°N 77.0417345°W |
| Elevation | 249 ft (76 m) |
| Owner | National Park Service |
| Type | Open-air theatre |
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| Capacity | 4,200 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | December 1949 |
| Built | 1949 |
| Opened | August 4, 1950 |
| Renovated | pending |
| Closed | 2017 |
The Carter Barron Amphitheatre is a cool outdoor place in Washington, D.C., where people can watch shows. It has 4,200 seats! It's located inside Rock Creek Park. This amphitheatre opened in 1950 to celebrate Washington, D.C., being the capital of the United States for 150 years. The National Park Service runs Carter Barron. They have hosted many different kinds of performances, like reggae, Latin music, classical concerts, gospel, musicals, pop, R&B, jazz, and dance shows. Many of these shows have been free to attend. The William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center is also part of the Carter Barron area.
The Carter Barron Amphitheatre closed for repairs in February 2017. An inspection found that the stage was not strong enough to hold performers and equipment safely. The National Park Service (NPS) has plans to fix it when they have enough money.
Contents
History of the Amphitheatre
The Carter Barron Amphitheatre (CBA) is found in Rock Creek Park. Ideas for an outdoor theater in the Brightwood area of Washington, D.C., started way back in 1943. A famous landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., looked at possible locations. The first idea was for a small stage with a movie screen and benches for about 1,500 people.
Building the Sesquicentennial Amphitheatre
This plan grew bigger in 1947 thanks to Carter T. Barron. He wanted to create a special place to celebrate Washington, D.C.'s 150th birthday as the nation's capital. Carter Barron was a leader on the Sesquicentennial Commission. He dreamed of an amphitheatre where "all persons of every race, color and creed" could enjoy music, ballet, and theater.
The Commission approved drawings by William M. Haussmann, an architect for the National Park Service. The new theater would have 4,200 seats. It was designed with the best technology of the time. This included a communication system for the stage manager to talk to actors and great lighting and sound. The amphitheatre officially opened on August 4, 1950.
The first show was "Faith of Our Fathers," a play about George Washington. People loved the amphitheatre itself, calling it the best outdoor theater they had seen. The way it was built used the natural shape of the hill to make the sound amazing. People said there was "not a bad seat in the house."
The original design of the amphitheatre has not changed much over the years. In 1965, a curtain was added to the stage. Later, a special roof was put over part of the stage to protect performers. In the early 1990s, the National Park Service fixed the restrooms and updated some electrical systems. Between 2003 and 2004, all the seats were replaced, and the drainage in the seating area was made better. Electrical wiring was also updated. A big renovation project for the stage area is planned for the future.
Famous Performances at Carter Barron
After its first two seasons, the Carter Barron Amphitheatre started to host many different kinds of shows. In 1952, military bands and the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo performed there. In 1953, a company called Washington Festival, Inc. took over for a season. They put on musicals like "Show Boat," "Annie Get Your Gun," and "Carousel." However, not many people came, and the company lost a lot of money.
Then, in 1954, two brothers named Irvin and Israel Feld took over. Their company, Super Attractions, brought in the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) and more musicals like "The Mikado." By 1963, they started featuring more music concerts. Famous artists who performed there included The Kingston Trio, Victor Borge, Nat King Cole, Benny Goodman, Ethel Merman, Henry Mancini, Harry Belafonte, Andy Williams, Louis Armstrong, The Temptations, Ella Fitzgerald, and Peter, Paul and Mary.
After Israel Feld passed away in 1972, his wife, Shirley, managed the amphitheatre. The venue then started to host popular soul and rock 'n' roll acts. These included Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Diana Ross & the Supremes, B.B. King, The O'Jays, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and the Four Tops.
By 1976, the Feld's company faced challenges from other performance venues. New management, Cella-Door-Dimensions, Inc., was hired. They brought in acts like Kool and the Gang, Bruce Springsteen, the United States Navy Band, and the National Symphony Orchestra. They also featured the Shakespeare Festival, Richard Pryor, Chick Corea, and the D.C. Black Repertory Co. This helped attract a wider and more diverse audience.
Since the end of the 1976 season, the National Park Service has managed the theater itself. Carter Barron still hosts a wide variety of performances today. These include reggae, Latin, classical, gospel, musical, pop, R&B, jazz, new age, theater, and dance. Tickets are often very affordable, and many shows are even free. The National Park Service continues to follow Carter T. Barron's original idea of offering great performances to everyone in Washington, D.C. They work with groups like the Shakespeare Theatre Company and the National Symphony Orchestra to achieve this goal.
About Carter T. Barron
Carter T. Barron was born in Clarkesville, Georgia, on January 30, 1905. He was the vice-chairman for the Sesquicentennial Commission, which helped create the amphitheatre. He played football at Georgia Tech until a knee injury ended his sports career. He moved to Washington, D.C., in 1932 and lived there until he passed away on November 16, 1950. This was just three months after the amphitheatre opened.
Barron was a very active person in his community. He was a manager for Lowe's Eastern Division of Theaters and worked for MGM in Washington. He was also a big supporter of the arts. People knew him as "everyone's friend – the burly, red-headed, blue-eyed, smiling giant." Both President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and President Harry S. Truman considered him a great friend. Barron helped organize many events for both presidents.
President Harry S. Truman officially opened the Sesquicentennial Amphitheatre on August 4, 1950. After Carter Barron's death, President Truman renamed the amphitheatre the Carter T. Barron Amphitheater in a special ceremony on May 25, 1951. Many people believed Carter Barron was a key person who connected the performing arts with the government. The amphitheatre stands as a lasting reminder of his dedication.
See also
- List of contemporary amphitheatres
- Theater in Washington, D.C.
