Grand Opera House (Dubuque, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Grand Opera House
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 135 8th St. Dubuque, Iowa |
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| Area | less than 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1890 |
| Architect | Willoughby J. Edbrooke |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque |
| MPS | Footlights in Farm Country: Iowa Opera Houses MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 02001029 |
| Added to NRHP | September 20, 2002 |
The Grand Opera House is a historic building located in Dubuque, Iowa. It was built in 1890 and is found at the corner of 8th and Iowa Streets. This special building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, which means it's recognized as an important part of history.
The Grand Opera House is considered a "national treasure." It has the biggest stage ever built in Dubuque and is the only old opera house still standing there. Its design is also very important. It's an early example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style in Dubuque. This style uses strong, simple shapes and rough stone. The famous architect Willoughby James Edbrooke designed it. This is his only opera house that is still around! He even used its design to help him get a big job as the main architect for the U.S. government in 1891.
The building's design shows Edbrooke's smooth way of using the Richardsonian Romanesque style. The Grand Opera House is also important because it was a center for high-quality theater in Dubuque from 1890 to 1928. The theater has been kept in great shape. In 2002, it was being fixed up so it could keep hosting live shows. Its history is very well known and recorded. In 2015, the theater celebrated its 125th birthday with many performances.
Contents
The Grand Opera House Story
Building a Dream: Early Years
The Grand Opera House was built between 1889 and 1890. A group of six people, including William Lester Bradley, Sr., started "The Grand Opera House, Inc." in 1890. Their goal was to run this theater and others in Dubuque. The opera house cost about $65,000 to build. When it was finished, it was the largest theater in Dubuque. It could seat 1,100 people! The stage was huge, measuring 42 feet (about 13 meters) from front to back. At first, there was even a tunnel connecting the opera house to a nearby house where actors could change costumes.
The first show was supposed to be on August 15, 1890. But that day was a special religious holiday. So, the opening night was moved to August 14. About 800 people paid five dollars each to see the Hess Opera Company perform "Carmen". This was a famous French opera by Georges Bizet.
For the next 40 years, the Grand hosted over 2,600 live shows. Many famous performers graced its stage. These included Henry Fonda, Ethel Barrymore, George Cohan, Sarah Bernhard, and Lillian Russell. Years later, Henry Fonda remembered his time at the Grand fondly. He was happy that the theater was still there. One of the most amazing shows was "Ben-Hur". It even had real horses and chariots on stage! The theater made a profit for 22 out of its first 28 years. The few years it didn't make money were because they were making improvements to the building.
From Stage to Screen: The Movie Era
In 1915, something new happened at the Grand: movies were shown for the first time! That first year, the theater made $15,488 in profit from movies. This was three times more than what they made from traditional plays. In 1928, the Grand had its last live performance for many years. It was a play called "The Merry Wives of Windsor".
Then, in 1930, the Grand was changed into a movie theater. The second balcony and special box seats were taken out. The orchestra pit, where musicians played, was covered. The curved stage was made straight. A big screen and a new projector were added for showing films.
When the Grand became a movie theater, most movie theaters were in downtown Dubuque. By 1972, the Grand was the only downtown movie theater left. It was sold to Richard Davis. In 1976, Davis sold it to the Dubinsky Brothers. The Grand kept showing movies for several more years.
Back to Live Shows: A New Chapter
As the 1900s ended, the Barn Community Theater bought the Grand Opera House. It was empty and needed a lot of repairs. This marked the end of the Grand's time as a movie theater. In 1986, a show called "Tintypes" was performed there. This was the first live show at the Grand in over 57 years!
In recent years, the Grand Opera House has had many updates. The original front of the building was brought back. This meant taking off a large sign and metal covering that were put on in the 1960s. The inside of the theater has also been fixed up and made new again.
