Grand 1894 Opera House facts for kids
|
Grand Opera House
|
|
Opera House entrance in 2012
|
|
 Grand Opera House
Location in Texas
Grand Opera House
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 2020 Postoffice St. (Ave. E), Galveston, Texas |
|---|---|
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1895 |
| Built by | Barnes & Palliser |
| Architect | Frank Cox |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 74002071 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | January 2, 1974 |
The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston, Texas is a special place where people go to watch live shows. It's run by a group that doesn't make money from it, just for the love of art. This beautiful building is in Galveston's old downtown area. It's built in a style called Romanesque Revival, which looks a bit like old Roman buildings. In 1993, the state of Texas officially named it "The Official Opera House of Texas"! Over 1,000 people can sit inside to watch a show.
Contents
History of The Grand Opera House
Back in 1894, a man named Henry Greenwall gathered $100,000 to build The Grand Opera House. It was also a hotel! It opened its doors on January 3, 1895, with a play called The Daughters of Eve.
The Grand is super strong! It has survived many big hurricanes. These include the terrible Galveston Hurricane of 1900 and Hurricane Ike.
The Grand started as a place for live shows. Then it became a Vaudeville theatre, which had many different acts. After that, it slowly turned into a movie theater. The movie theater closed in 1974.
The same year, a group called the Galveston County Cultural Arts Council bought it. They worked hard to change it back into a live theater. They also made it look beautiful again. Many volunteers and groups helped with this big project. In 1974, the theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list keeps track of important historical places.
The Arts Council owned The Grand until 1986. Then, it became its own group called 1894, Inc. Maureen M. Patton has been the Executive Director since 1981.
When Hurricane Ike hit Galveston Island in 2008, The Grand was damaged. But it reopened on January 3, 2009. This was its 114th birthday! All the damage was fixed in just 92 days.
Famous Performers at The Grand
- Sarah Bernhardt
- Ignace Paderewski
- Anna Pavlova
- John Philip Sousa
- Madame Modjeska
- Cloris Leachman
- Otis Skinner
- George M. Cohan
- William Jennings Bryan
- Lillian Russell
- Maude Adams
- The Marx Brothers
- George Burns and Gracie Allen
- Dorothy Kirsten
- Helen Hayes
- Lionel Hampton
- Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé
- Hal Holbrook
- Vienna Choir Boys
- Ray Charles
- Willie Nelson
- Lyle Lovett
- Liza Minnelli
- The Oak Ridge Boys
- James Earl Jones
- Tony Bennett
- Marilyn Horne
- Itzhak Perlman
- Johnny Mathis
- Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers
- Paul Anka
- Bernadette Peters
- Tommy Tune
- The Beach Boys
The Grand has also shown new plays for the very first time. These include Red White & Tuna and Tuna Does Vegas. These funny plays were written by Jaston Williams and Joe Sears. Another new play was ANN, about the life of Texas Governor Ann Richards. It was written and performed by Holland Taylor.
The music video for the Mötley Crüe song "Without You" was filmed at The Grand. This happened on January 15, 1990.
Architecture and Design
When The Grand opened in 1895, its stage was huge! It was 70 feet long, 37 feet deep, and 69 feet high. This made it the biggest stage in Texas. It was also one of the largest in the whole country. Even today, you can whisper on stage and people in the back can hear you. No seat is more than 70 feet away from the stage.
The Grand has faced many challenges. It has survived fires and hurricanes. It was also neglected when it was a movie theater. Because of this, it has been rebuilt and remodeled many times. For example, after the terrible Galveston Hurricane of 1900, its back wall and roof fell in.
The front of the building is made of red stone, brick, and terra cotta. The big glass doors have a carved stone arch around them. This arch is in the Romanesque style. Inside, the glass box office is between two sets of doors.
The carpet has a historical pattern. Its colors match the decorative curtain. You can also see stenciled roses and scrolls on the ceiling. The floors are made of marble tile. The walls have wood panels called wainscot. The banisters and railings are made of strong pine wood. A large bronze statue of a woman holding a torch stands on the main staircase. Inside the theater, red velvet curtains frame the stage. There are also eight special opera boxes. The chairs are covered in soft blue velour. The stage curtain shows a picture called "Sappho and Companions." This picture is a copy of the original painting by architect Frank Cox.
See also
