Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts facts for kids
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Wilson Theatre, Detroit Music Hall
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| Address | 350 Madison Street Detroit, Michigan United States |
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| Capacity | 1,731 |
| Current use | Performing arts center |
| Opened | 1928 |
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Wilson Theatre
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| Architect | William Kapp; Smith, Hinchman & Grylls |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000725 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | August 9, 1977 |
The Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts is a cool theatre in Detroit, Michigan. It has 1,731 seats and is a special place for shows. You can find it in the city's theatre district, right in Downtown. It opened way back in 1928. Back then, it was called the Wilson Theatre. This building is so important that it's listed as a Michigan State Historic Site and on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
History
Building a Dream Theatre
Long ago, two brothers named John Francis Dodge and Horace Dodge were very important in the car world. They helped start the Ford Motor Company. Later, they created their own company, Dodge. Both brothers passed away in 1920. This left their wives with a lot of money.
Matilda Dodge Wilson was John Dodge's widow. She loved stage shows. In 1925, she married Alfred Wilson. Matilda decided to use some of her money to build a theatre in Detroit. She wanted a place for a group of actors to perform. It would also host famous Broadway shows that traveled around.
She hired a well-known Detroit architecture firm. They assigned William Kapp to design the building. The construction cost $1.5 million. When it opened in 1928, the theatre was named the Wilson Theatre.
Building
Art Deco Design
William Kapp designed the Wilson Theatre. It is a six-story building. He used the popular Art Deco style. This style was very modern at the time.
The front of the building, facing Madison Street, looks very special. It has orange and tan bricks. You can also see beautiful Pewabic tiles and stone decorations. The top part of the building has seven sections. These sections are separated by stone pillars. On top of these pillars are cool terra cotta masks. These masks look like faces from plays.
In the middle five sections, there are two windows each. The sections at the ends have one window. The very top of the building has more coral and green Pewabic tiles. They are arranged in a quatrefoil pattern, which looks like a four-leaf clover. The bottom part of the building is covered with light-colored stone called travertine. It also has green marble at the very base.
Inside the Theatre
The inside of the theatre was designed in a Spanish Renaissance style. It was very grand. It could seat 1,800 people. The lower level had a fancy lounge. It even had a built-in bar.
Later history
New Names and Uses
During the Great Depression, money was very tight. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra could not afford to keep its own building. This building was called Orchestra Hall. So, the orchestra played in different places around the city.
In 1946, the orchestra moved into the Wilson Theatre. They changed its name to Detroit Music Hall. The symphony stayed there until 1956. Then, they moved to a new building called Ford Auditorium. After the orchestra left, the building was used for other things. It became a movie theatre. It even showed special Cinerama films. These films used three projectors to create a wide picture.
In 1971, the Music Hall became home to a new opera company. This was the Michigan Opera Theatre. The opera company performed most of its shows here until 1984.
Restoring a Landmark
People started working to fix up the theatre in 1973. These restoration efforts continued for several years. In 1974, the venue got its current name. It became the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts. Today, it is the only theatre left in Detroit that was built just for live shows.
The theatre was added to the Michigan Register of Historic Places in 1976. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. These lists recognize important historic buildings. A special historical marker was placed at the entrance in 1978. This marker tells visitors about the building's history.
See also
In Spanish: Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts para niños
