Spreckels Theatre facts for kids

Spreckels Theatre is a famous building in San Diego, California. It's a place where people enjoy live shows and movies. When it opened in 1912, it was called "the first modern playhouse west of the Mississippi River."

A kind person named John D. Spreckels had it built. He wanted it to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal. The theater first showed live plays. Later, in 1931, it started showing movies. The theater was sold in 2021 and is currently closed. There are plans to make it new again.

Building Design and Look

The Spreckels Theatre was designed by architect Harrison Albright. It opened on August 23, 1912. The building was made to honor the opening of the Panama Canal. Like many buildings from that time on the West Coast, it was built with strong concrete. It also has special decorative clay tiles called architectural terra cotta.

The building has six floors. A large sign, called a marquee, hangs over the main entrance. Inside, the theater has 1,915 seats. The inside looks very fancy, with a style called Baroque. There are no pillars or columns inside. This means everyone has a clear view of the stage. The number of seats was chosen to match the year of the Panama-California Exposition (1915). The stage is very big, measuring 82 feet by 58 feet. It was one of the largest stages ever built.

A Look at the Theatre's History

The Spreckels Theatre first showed live plays and performances. Many famous people performed there. These included singers like Enrico Caruso and actors like John Barrymore and Al Jolson. Comedians Will Rogers and Abbott and Costello also performed on its stage.

In 1931, the theater changed. Its owner, Louis B. Metzger, turned it into a movie house. It showed the newest movies.

Later, in 1976, Louis Metzger's daughter, Jacquelyn Littlefield, owned the theater. She changed it back to a place for live shows. She worked with the Nederlander Organization to bring big Broadway shows to San Diego.

When a fire damaged San Diego's Old Globe Theatre in 1978, the Spreckels Theatre helped out. It hosted the Old Globe's shows for a whole season.

From 2015 to 2019, the TV channel TBS rented the theater for a week each year. This was for Conan O'Brien to host his talk show, Conan. He did this during the San Diego Comic Con. Many actors from popular TV shows and movies appeared on his show. These included casts from Breaking Bad, Top Gun: Maverick, Veronica Mars, and It Chapter Two.

Spreckels Theatre Today

Spreckels sign at night (2013)

The Spreckels Building in San Diego was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. This means it is an important historical site. The theater is currently closed.

Famous Performers at Spreckels

Many talented artists have performed at the Spreckels Theatre over the years. Here are some of them:

• Enrico Caruso
• John Barrymore
• Al Jolson
• Will Rogers
• Abbott and Costello
• Arcade Fire
• Cocteau Twins
• George Arliss
• William Powell
• Bill Bojangles Robinson
• Ronald Coleman
• Arthur Rubinstein
• Bela Lugosi
• Ed Wynn
• Bert Lahr
• Ronald Reagan
• Eva La Gallienne
• Honi Coles
• Carol Shelly
• Jean Pierre Rampal
• Julian Bream
• Burt Lancaster
• Chris Issak
• Ricky Lee Jones
• Bobby Caldwell
• Kenny Loggins
• Linda Lavin
• Jamie Foxx
• Jeffrey Osborne
• David Bowie
• Bryan Adams
• Dave Koz
• The Doobie Brothers
• Todd Rungren
• Sammy Hagar
• Chaka Kahn
• Sarah McLachlan
• Bela Flek
• Alice Cooper
• Fiona Apple
• Hootie and The Blowfish
• Smashing Pumpkins
• David Sanborn
• John Cleese
• Shane Gillis
• Dave Chappelle
• Margaret Cho
• Lisa Lampanelli
• David Brenner
• Eddie Griffin
• Ghost
• Ellen DeGeneres
• George Lopez
• Rita Rudner
• The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company
• The Martha Graham Dance Company
• The Royal Shakespeare Company
• The Moscow Art Theatre
• Ballet Folklorico de Mexico
• The Paul Whiteman Orchestra
• The Kirov Ballet
• The Alvin Alley Dance Company
• The Harlem Boys Choir

See also

In Spanish: Teatro Spreckels para niños