Theatre in Detroit

A National Historic Landmark, the Detroit Fox Theatre lights up Foxtown at night.

Theatre in Detroit discusses performing arts in the city, its history, and its venues. With more than a dozen performing arts venues, the city's theatre district ranks as the second largest in the United States after Manhattan's Broadway,^[1][2] the stages and old time film palaces are generally located along Woodward Avenue, the city's thoroughfare, between the downtown and New Center area. Some additional venues are located in neighborhood areas of the city.^[3]

History

The Fillmore Detroit is located beside the Fox Theatre along Detroit's Woodward Ave.

An example of a Barton theatre organ - Michigan Theatre, Ann Arbor.

Detroit has a long theatrical history, with many venues dating back to the 1920s.^[4] The Detroit Fox Theatre (1928) was the first theater ever constructed with built-in film sound equipment. Commissioned by William Fox and built by architect C. Howard Crane, the ornate Detroit Fox was fully restored in 1988. It is the largest of the nation's Fox Theatres with 5,045 seats.^[5][6] The city has been a place for operatic, symphonic, musical and popular acts since the first part of the twentieth century. Portions of Leonard Bernstein's music for West Side Story, produced by Detroit's Nederlander Organization, were composed on the piano that resides in the library at Cranbrook in the Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills. David T. Nederlander's career began after purchasing a 99 year lease on the Detroit Opera House. His son, the organization's chairman, James M. Nederlander, also a Detroit native, coproduced over one hundred famous theatrical classics, including West Side Story, Hello, Dolly!, The King and I, and Fiddler on the Roof.^[7] Today, the Nederlander Organization operates Detroit's Fisher Theatre, the Detroit Opera House, and several theatres in other major cities on the Broadway theatre circuit. Organizations such as the Mosiac Youth Theatre support the city's theatre community.^[8]

The Detroit Opera House's backhouse extends along Madison Ave.

Old Detroit Opera House on Campus Martius in 1907.

During the late 1980s the great old motion picture screens and live performance stages began to be restored. The Fox Theatre, Detroit Opera House (formerly the Grand Circus Theatre; Broadway Capitol Theatre; Paramount Theatre; Capital Theatre), and The Fillmore Detroit (formerly the State Theater; Palms Theater) are notable restorations. The Fillmore Detroit is the site of the annual Detroit Music Awards held in April. Other venues were modernized and expanded such as Orchestra Hall, the home of the world renowned Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Next to the Detroit Opera House is the restored 1,700-seat Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts (1928) at 350 Madison Avenue, designed by William Kapp and developed by Matilda Dodge Wilson. The Detroit Institute of Arts contains the renovated 1,150-seat Detroit Film Theatre. Smaller sites with long histories in the city were preserved by physically moving the entire structure. In a notable preservation, the Gem Theatre and Century Theatre were moved (off their foundation) to a new address across from the Music Hall Center in order to construct Comerica Park. Detroit's 1,571-seat Redford Theatre (1928), with its Japanese motifs, is home to the Motor City Theatre Organ Society (MCTOS).^[9][10]

Along with Wayne State University’s Hilberry Theatre, the only graduate repertory theater in the nation, Detroit has enjoyed a resurgence in theatrical productions and attendance. In the 2000s, shows ranging from touring musicals to local theatre happen nightly and the theatres have sparked a significant increase in nightlife; hospitality ventures serving the area have increased accordingly. With its sports venues and casinos, the Detroit Theatre District has revitalized neighborhoods like Grand Circus Park and its nearby Foxtown, Greektown, the Cultural Center and New Center area anchored by the 2,089-seat Fisher Theatre.^[3]

The city has some surviving historic theatres which have been converted to other uses while others await redevelopment. Albert Kahn and Ernest Wilby designed the Beaux Arts styled National Theatre (1911) with its Moorish entry at 118 Monroe Street which also awaits redevelopment.^[3] The 2,200 seat National Theatre is the oldest surviving theatre from the city's first theatre district.^[11] The futuristic Cadillac Centre begins construction on Detroit's historic Monroe block, once a collection of eight antebellum commercial buildings demolished in 1990.^[12] C. Howard Crane designed the Neo-Renaissance styled United Artists Theatre Building at 150 Bagley Street slated to become a residential high rise. The 600-seat Stratford Theatre at 4751 W. Vernor Hwy., designed by Joseph P. Jogerst, seated 1,137 when it opened in 1916. The Art Deco styled Stratford Theatre in the West Vernor-Junction Historic District has operated as a retail store since 1985. The ornate Spanish styled Hollywood Theatre (1927) at the corner of Ferdinand and Fort St. was demolished in 1963.^[13] When the historic Hollywood opened, it was the city's second largest with 3,400 seats.^[13] The Hollywood Barton theatre organ was saved and awaits restoration.^[14] There were over 7,000 such organs installed in American theatres from 1915 to 1933, but fewer than forty remain in their original location such as the Barton theatre organ in Ann Arbor's Michigan Theatre.^[15]

Detroit's performance centers and theatres emanate from the Grand Circus Park Historic District and continue along Woodward Avenue toward the Fisher Theatre in the city's New Center.^[3] The Detroit Opera House is located at Broadway and Grand Circus. The east necklace of downtown links Grand Circus and the stadium area to Greektown along Broadway.^[3] The east neckace contains a sub-district sometimes called the Harmonie Park District in the Broadway Avenue Historic District which has taken on the renowned legacy of Detroit's music from the 1930s through the 1950s and into the present.^[16] Near the Opera House, and emanating from Grand Circus along the east necklace, are other venues including the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts and the Gem Theatre and Century Club. The historic Harmonie Club and Harmonie Centre are located along Broadway. The Harmonie Park area ends near Gratiot and Randolph.^[3]

Performing arts venues

Name	Image	Built	Location	Capacity	Organization	Style	Architect
Fox Theatre		1928	2211 Woodward Ave. 42°20′18″N 83°3′9″W / 42.33833°N 83.0525°W / 42.33833; -83.0525 (Fox Theater Building)	5,045	Olympia Entertainment	Art Deco facade, Burmese, Chinese	C. Howard Crane
Detroit Masonic Temple Theatre		1922	500 Temple Ave. 42°20′30″N 83°3′37″W / 42.34167°N 83.06028°W / 42.34167; -83.06028 (Detroit Masonic Temple)	4,404	Olympia Entertainment	Neo-Gothic	George D. Mason
Bert's Warehouse Theater			2739 Russell	3,000	Bert's Entertainment	Bohemian warehouse
Detroit Opera House		1922	1526 Broadway Street	2,700	Michigan Opera Theater, Nederlander	Italian Renaissance	C. Howard Crane
Fillmore Detroit		1925	2115 Woodward Ave. 42°20′16″N 83°3′7″W / 42.33778°N 83.05194°W / 42.33778; -83.05194 (The Fillmore Detroit Theatre)	2,200	Live Nation	Neo-Renaissance	C. Howard Crane
Fisher Theatre		1927	3011 West Grand Boulevard 42°22′8.5″N 83°4′36.92″W / 42.369028°N 83.0769222°W / 42.369028; -83.0769222 (Fisher Building)	2,089	Nederlander	Art Deco	Albert Kahn
Orchestra Hall[17]		1919	3711 Woodward Ave. 42°20′55″N 83°3′33″W / 42.34861°N 83.05917°W / 42.34861; -83.05917 (Orchestra Hall)	2,014	Detroit Symphony Orchestra	Neo-Renaissance	C. Howard Crane
Harpos Concert Theatre		1939	1315 Broadway St.	1,975	Wisper & Wetsman	Art moderne	Charles N. Agree
Motor City Casino theatre		2007	2901 Grand River Avenue	1,800		Novelty, Modern	Giffels Inc., NORR Limited
Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts		1928	350 Madison Ave. 42°20′14″N 83°2′46″W / 42.33722°N 83.04611°W / 42.33722; -83.04611 (Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts)	1,700	Kresge Foundation	Art Deco facade, Spanish Renaissance	William E. Kapp, Smith Hinchman & Grylls
Redford Theatre		1928	17354 Lahser Ave. 42°25′2″N 83°15′27″W / 42.41722°N 83.2575°W / 42.41722; -83.2575 (Redford Theatre Building)	1,571	Motor City Theater Organ Society	Exotic Revival, Japanese motifs	Ralph F. Shreive with Verner, Wilheim, and Molby[10]
Majestic Theater		1915	4140 Woodward Avenue 42°21′11″N 83°03′37″W / 42.35301°N 83.06031°W / 42.35301; -83.06031 (Majestic Theater)	1,260		Art Deco	C. Howard Crane
Riverfront 4 Movie Theatres		1978	Renaissance Center 42°19′44.38″N 83°2′22.95″W / 42.3289944°N 83.0397083°W / 42.3289944; -83.0397083 (Riverfront 4 Movie Theatres)	1250		Modern	John Portman Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Greektown Casino theatre		2009	555 East Lafayette	1,200		Novelty, Modern	Rossetti
MGM Grand Detroit theatre		2007	1777 Third Street	1,200	MGM Mirage	Modern	SmithGroup
Bonstelle Theatre		1903	3424 Woodward Ave. 42°20′46″N 83°3′25″W / 42.34611°N 83.05694°W / 42.34611; -83.05694 (Bonstelle Theatre)	1,173	Wayne State University	Neoclassical	Albert Kahn, C. Howard Crane
Detroit Film Theatre		1927	5201 Woodward Ave. 42°21′31″N 83°3′57″W / 42.35861°N 83.06583°W / 42.35861; -83.06583 (Detroit Film Theatre)	1,150	Detroit Institute of Arts	Neo-Renaissance	Paul Philippe Cret
Senate Theatre		1926	6424 Michigan Ave	900	Detroit Theater Organ Society	Art Deco	Christian W. Brandt
Hillberry Theatre		1916		532	Wayne State University	Neoclassical	Field, Hinchman and Smith
City Theatre		2004	2301 Woodward Ave.	500	Olympia Entertainment
Gem Theatre		1927	333 Madison 42°20′15″N 83°2′47″W / 42.3375°N 83.04639°W / 42.3375; -83.04639 (Century Building and Little Gem Theatre)	450		Italian Renaissance	George D. Mason
Century Theatre		1903	333 Madison 42°20′15″N 83°2′47″W / 42.3375°N 83.04639°W / 42.3375; -83.04639 (Century Building and Little Gem Theatre)	250		Italian Renaissance	George D. Mason
Chrysler IMAX Dome Theatre		2001	5020 John R. St.	230	Detroit Science Center	Postmodern	BEI Associates, Neumann/Smith, William Kessler Associates
Detroit Repertory Theatre		1963	13103 Woodrow Wilson	194	Detroit Repertory Theatre
The Players		1925	3321 East Jefferson Ave.		The Players Club	Florentine Renaissance, Arts and Crafts, Art Deco murals.	William E. Kapp, Smith Hinchman & Grylls
Bohemian National Home		1914	3009 Tillman Street
Studio Theatre				112	Wayne State University	Black box
Boll Family YMCA Theatre			1401 Broadway		YMCA, Plowshares Theatre Company	Modern

Historic venues awaiting restoration

Name	Image	Built	Location	Capacity	Organization	Style	Architect
National Theatre[11] (inactive)		1911	118 Monroe St. 42°19′58″N 83°2′45″W / 42.33278°N 83.04583°W / 42.33278; -83.04583 (National Theatre)	2,200	Phoenix Properties LLC	Baroque-Beaux Arts-Moorish	Albert Kahn
United Artists Theatre Building (inactive)		1928	150 Bagley St.	2,070	Ilitch Holdings	Spanish Gothic	C. Howard Crane
Alger Theater (inactive)		1935	16541 East Warren Avenue	1,500	Friends of the Alger Theater [18][19]	Art Deco

See also

Metro Detroit portal

• Caesars Windsor
• Grand Riviera Theater
• List of concert halls
• Music of Detroit
• Michigan Building

Notes

1. ^ Firsts and facts Detroit Tourism Economic Development Council. Retrieved on July 24, 2008.
2. ^ Arts & Culture Detroit Economic Growth Corporation. Retrieved on July 24, 2008. "Detroit is home to the second largest theatre district in the United States."
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Hill, Eric J. and John Gallagher (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3120-3. 
4. ^ Hauser, Michael and Marianne Weldon (2006). Downtown Detroit's Movie Palaces (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-4102-8. 
5. ^ Hodges, Michael H. (September 8, 2003).Fox Theater's rebirth ushered in city's renewal. Michigan History, The Detroit News. Retrieved on November 23, 2007.
6. ^ Marzejka, Laurie J. (January 25, 1998).Detroit's historic Fox Theatre. Michigan History, The Detroit News. Retrieved on July 9, 2009.
7. ^ James M. Nederlander biography. Film Reference. Retrieved on August 17, 2008.
8. ^ Mosiac Youth Theatre. Retrieved on July 8, 2009.
9. ^ AIA Detroit Urban Priorities Committee, (January 10, 2006).Top 10 Detroit Interiors.Model D Media. Retrieved on November 23, 2007.
10. ^ ^{a b} Redford Theatre Building. Michigan State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved on January 14, 2008.
11. ^ ^{a b} National Theatre.Buildings of Detroit. Retrieved on July 16, 2009.
12. ^ Hyde, Charles (May–June 1991).Demolition by Neglect: The Failure to Save the Monroe Block.Michigan History Magazine.Retrieved on January 20, 2008.
13. ^ ^{a b} The Hollywood Theatre, Detroit, MI. The Detroit News (March 17, 1963). Cited at StevenBall.com. Retrieved on January 14, 2008.
14. ^ Hooray for Hollywood. Journal of the American Theatre Organ Society (November/December [1998]). Cited at StevenBall.com. Retrieved on January 14, 2008.
15. ^ Aldridge, Henry B. (September/October 1998).The Michigan Theatre Celebrates Twenty-Five Years of Organ Overtures. Journal of the American Theatre Organ Society. Cited at StevenBall.com. Retrieved on January 14, 2008.
16. ^ Harmonie Park District.Retrieved on January 31, 2010.
17. ^ Orchestra Hall restoration. State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved on December 10, 2007.
18. ^ algertheater.org
19. ^ Alger Theater.Buildings of Detroit. Retrieved on July 16, 2009.

References and further reading

• Cantor, George (2005). Detroit: An Insiders Guide to Michigan. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 0472030922. 
• Eisenstein, Paul (February 1997). Relighting the Footlights: The Detroit Opera House renovation recaptures the golden age of the American stage. Popular Mechanics.
• Hauser, Michael and Marianne Weldon (2006). Downtown Detroit's Movie Palaces (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-4102-8. 
• Hill, Eric J. and John Gallagher (2002). AIA Detroit: The American Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3120-3. 
• Meyer, Katherine Mattingly and Martin C.P. McElroy with Introduction by W. Hawkins Ferry, Hon A.I.A. (1980). Detroit Architecture A.I.A. Guide Revised Edition. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-1651-4. 
• Sharoff, Robert (2005). American City: Detroit Architecture. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3270-6. 
• Sobocinski, Melanie Grunow (2005). Detroit and Rome: building on the past. Regents of the University of Michigan. ISBN 0933691092. 

External links

• Detroit Entertainment District
• Detroit Symphony Orchestra - Orchestra Hall
• Detroit Opera House - Motopera Theatre
• Hilberry Theatre - Wayne State University
• Nederlander Detroit - Fisher and Masonic Theatres
• Olympia Entertainment - The Fox Theatre and the City Theatre
• Studio Theatre - Wayne State University

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