- Amphitheatre Auditorium
Amphitheatre Auditorium or just the Auditorium was a theatre building in
Louisville, Kentucky , USA at the corner of 4th and Hills Streets. Upon its completion in 1889, the large wooden structure boasted the second largest stage in theUnited States . The New York Opera House was the largest stage at the time.History
The Louisville theater was built with materials from the nearby dismantled remains of the
Southern Exposition building, which was located just a block away. It contained over 2,000 electric lights, could seat 3,072, and the stage was 90 feet across and 60 feet deep. The theater opened onSeptember 23 ,1889 ."The Encyclopedia of Louisville" (John E. Kleber) pages 31-32 ISBN 0813121000]The theatre was operated by
philantropist William Norton, Jr., who went by the name Daniel Quilp, a villain inCharles Dickens ' novel "The Old Curiosity Shop ". He promoted the Auditorium with the phrase "Only for great attractions". Norton also used the theatre as a place for the poor to collect handouts once a week. Upon his death he willed that his theatre workers receive a three months salary. He also gave $900,000 dollars of his estate to the Louisville Baptists' Orphan's Home.Fact|date=February 2008On
March 6 ,1890 the theater would have theAdelina Patti make her first performance out of a three day stop in Louisville during a six city tour in the United States. ["The Atlanta Constitution" February 7, 1890 page 5 Patti in Louisville] The theater began having significant success following her performance. The summer season being the most productive.Many of the day's great actors and political figures performed there, including
Edwin Booth ,Lawrence Barrett ,John Phillip Sousa ,Theodore Roosevelt , andBooker T. Washington . The theatre was part of a large entertainment complex that included a bike riding park, a man made lagoon, a promenade, and a ten thousand seat outdoor amphitheatre used for fireworks shows, including "The Last Days of Pompei" and "Americus".After Norton's death in 1903 no buyers could be found for the Auditorium or surrounding attractions. The last event the "Children's Floral Ball" was held on
April 30 ,1904 . Later, the site was purchased for $900 and razed onMay 5 ,1905 , only 16 years after its completion.ee also
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History of Louisville, Kentucky References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
