Barre Opera House

Last updated
A postcard dating to circa 1900 of the opera house Postcard of Barre Opera House Main Street downtown Barre, Vermont circa 1900.jpg
A postcard dating to circa 1900 of the opera house

The Barre Opera House is an opera house in Barre, Vermont, USA. It was built to replace the Barre City Hall/Opera House which burned down in 1898.

Contents

History of the Barre Opera House

Beginnings

Presidential-hopeful Theodore Roosevelt on the outer balcony of the Barre Opera House on August 31, 1912 Theodore Roosevelt Barre Opera House downtown Barre VT August 1912.jpg
Presidential-hopeful Theodore Roosevelt on the outer balcony of the Barre Opera House on August 31, 1912

The current opera house, designed by George G. Adams, a leading architect of public buildings in New England, [1] was finished on August 23, 1899. [2]

In the decades that followed, the opera house served as a venue for staged plays, speakers, traveling shows, bands, and politicians. People such as Helen Keller, Eugene V. Debs, George M. Cohan, Emma Goldman, John Philip Sousa and Tom Mix graced its stage. [3] In 1912, two presidential candidates made speeches from the outer balcony: William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt.

1930s, 1940s, and Closing

During the Great Depression and World War II, the opera house served the community primarily as a movie house. As other, competing movie venues were built in and around Barre, the opera house fell out of favor and closed its doors in January 1944, remaining vacant for nearly 40 years.

Re-opening and Renovation (1982-1993)

With significant community support, a dilapidated Barre Opera House re-opened in October 1982. The facility was in an advanced state of disrepair; windows were broken, few seats were left, and the outdated heating system did not function.

For a decade after its reopening, the opera house underwent a series of incremental upgrades which added curtains, stage lights and a working heating system. In 1993, funds were raised for a massive renovation which added an elevator and balcony seating. The modern seating capacity was raised to 649, bringing it to more than half of the original, 1899-era capacity. The renovations, which have totaled nearly 2 million dollars, are ongoing, with another $400,000 of improvements in the works.

The Barre Opera House today

More than 20,000 people attend events at the opera house annually.

Many major artists, such as Jackson Browne, John Hiatt, and Shawn Colvin have performed at the BOH in recent years. As an example of the breadth of artists who perform in a given year, the 2013–2014 season has included Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Robert Cray Band, Mavis Staples, Lunasa, The Capitol Steps, Le Vent du Nord, Colin Quinn and pianist John O'Connor.

The opera house is renowned for its acoustical purity and it is the central venue of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra.

The Opera House was mentioned in a National Geographic feature on towns in America.: [4] "The proudly blue-collar city supports the arts; rust-peppered pickup trucks jostled newer cars in the overflowing parking lot of the 1899 Barre Opera House for a recent performance of Carmen. But crowds also packed the place for the Miss Vermont pageant last year. You can rent the same stage for your kid's piano recital."

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music venue</span> Any location used for a concert or musical performance

A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from a small coffeehouse for folk music shows, an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music. Opera houses, bandshells, and concert halls host classical music performances, whereas public houses ("pubs"), nightclubs, and discothèques offer music in contemporary genres, such as rock, dance, country, and pop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall</span> Historic theatre and concert hall in Singapore

The Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall is a performing arts centre in the Central Area of Singapore, situated along Empress Place. It is a complex of two buildings and a clock tower joined together by a common corridor; the oldest part of the building was first built in 1862, and the complex was completed in 1909. The complex has undergone a number of renovations and refurbishment, mostly recently in 2010 when the complex was closed for a four-year renovation project. It reopened on 15 July 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newberry Opera House</span> Theater in Newberry, South Carolina, United States

The Newberry Opera House, located in Newberry, South Carolina, is a fully restored historic building that is a live-performance space for popular artists, touring theatre companies, and local organizations. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Opera House (Dubuque, Iowa)</span> United States historic place

The Grand Opera House is an opera house located at the corner of 8th and Iowa Streets in Dubuque, Iowa that was built in 1890. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Opera House (Macon, Georgia)</span> United States historic place

The Grand Opera House, often called The Grand and originally known as the Academy of Music, is a historic opera house located in Macon, Georgia, United States. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, it is now the performing arts center of Mercer University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lensic Theater</span> Performing arts center in Santa Fe, New Mexico

The Lensic Theater, located at 211 West San Francisco Street in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is an 821-seat theater designed by Boller Brothers of Kansas City, well-known movie-theater and vaudeville-house architects who designed almost one hundred theaters throughout the West and mid-West, including the KiMo Theater in Albuquerque. The pseudo-Moorish, Spanish Renaissance Lensic was built by Nathan Salmon and E. John Greer and opened on 24 June 1931. Its name derives from the initials of Greer's six grandchildren.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is a large multi-venue performing arts center located in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orpheum Theatre (Memphis)</span> Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee

The Orpheum Theatre, a 2,308-seat venue listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, on the southwest corner of the intersection of South Main and Beale streets. The Orpheum, along with the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education, compose the Orpheum Theatre Group, a community-supported nonprofit corporation that operates and maintains the venues and presents education programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somerville Theatre</span> Independent movie theater and concert venue in Somerville, Massachusetts

The Somerville Theatre is an independent movie theater and concert venue in the Davis Square neighborhood of Somerville, Massachusetts, United States. Over one hundred years old, the Somerville Theatre started off as a vaudeville house and movie theater. The theater has since transitioned and now operates as a live music venue and first-run movie theater. As a music venue, the theater has played host to many historic concerts, including the first of the two Last Dispatch concerts, two shows by Bruce Springsteen in 2003, and a performance by U2 in 2009. Recent live performances have included Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, Cursive, Norah Jones, The Jonas Brothers, Joan Baez, and the John Butler Trio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Theatre (Dayton, Ohio)</span>

The Victoria Theatre is a historic 1,154-seat performing arts venue located in downtown Dayton, Ohio. The Victoria hosts a variety of events including theatre, music, dance, film, and comedy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saenger Theatre (Mobile, Alabama)</span> Theater in Mobile, Alabama, United States

The Saenger Theatre is a historic theater and contributing building to the Lower Dauphin Street Historic District in Mobile, Alabama. It was dedicated in January 1927. The Saenger Theatre is a Mobile landmark, known for its architecture and ties to local cultural history. The theater has been completely renovated in recent years with an upgraded electrical system, VIP facilities, new stage rigging and sound system. It is the official home of the Mobile Symphony Orchestra and also serves as the venue for movie festivals, concerts, lectures and special events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miller Symphony Hall</span> Performing arts facility

Miller Symphony Hall is a 1,100-seat performing arts facility in Allentown, Pennsylvania that hosts the Allentown Symphony Orchestra. The hall was previously known as Central Market (1896), Lyric Theater (1899), and Allentown Symphony Hall (1959). In 2012, it was renamed for the Miller family, longtime owners of the hall and of The Morning Call newspaper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orpheum Theatre (Wichita, Kansas)</span> United States historic place

The Orpheum Theatre is a historic theater in downtown Wichita, Kansas, United States. It was designed by renowned theatre architect John Eberson with funding from a group of local investors and opened on September 4, 1922.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Theater (Stevens Point, Wisconsin)</span> United States historic place

The Fox Theater is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 for its architectural significance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McHaffey Opera House</span> United States historic place

The McHaffey Opera House is a historic building located in Eldon, Iowa, United States. It was constructed in 1891 and in use by the community through the 1940s. The building was mainly unused for many decades until a volunteer community group bought the opera house in 1995 and began restoration efforts. The McHaffey Opera House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in November, 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tivoli Theatre (Chattanooga, Tennessee)</span> United States historic place

The Tivoli Theatre, also known as the Tivoli and the "Jewel of the South", is a historic theatre in Chattanooga, Tennessee, that opened on March 19, 1921. Built between 1919 and 1921 at a cost of $750,000, designed by famed Chicago-based architectural firm Rapp and Rapp and well-known Chattanooga architect Reuben H. Hunt, and constructed by the John Parks Company, the theatre was one of the first air-conditioned public buildings in the United States. The theatre was named Tivoli after Tivoli, Italy, has cream tiles and beige terra-cotta bricks, has a large red, black, and white marquee with 1,000 chaser lights, and has a large black neon sign that displays TIVOLI with still more chaser lights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Staatstheater Mainz</span> Theatre and opera house in Mainz, Germany

The Staatstheater Mainz is a theatre in Mainz, Germany, which is owned and operated by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Situated on the Gutenbergplatz, the complex comprises two theatres which are connected by an underground passage and also by skywalk. Performances of opera, drama and ballet are presented. Its name was Stadttheater Mainz until 1989.

Norfolk Municipal Auditorium was a 5,200 seat multi-purpose arena and music venue in Norfolk, Virginia, USA that opened in May 1943. The arena was constructed after the City of Norfolk and the military found a need to construct an entertainment venue in the city after the population of the city doubled between 1938 and 1941 as a result of World War II-related military buildup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barre City Hall and Opera House</span> United States historic place

Barre City Hall and Opera House is a historic government building at 6 North Main Street in downtown Barre, Vermont. Built in 1899, it houses the city offices, and its upper floors have served for much of the time since its construction as a performing arts venue. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daily's Place</span> Amphitheater in Florida, United States

Daily's Place is an amphitheater in Downtown Jacksonville, Florida. The venue is connected to the south end of EverBank Stadium and shares space with a "flex field" indoor practice facility for the Jacksonville Jaguars. It opened in May 2017 and seats 5,500 spectators. Since 2019, the amphitheater has become nationally known as the home venue for the U.S. professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

References

Notes
  1. Old Public Library
  2. Barre Opera House - Historical Downtown Barre; Shows, Concerts, Community Events Archived May 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Barre City Hall and Opera House". central-vt.com.
  4. Margaret G. Zackowitz, NationalGeographic.com "ZipUSA: 05641" Archived 2007-08-07 at the Wayback Machine , National Geographic, October 2003

44°11′48″N72°30′07″W / 44.196705°N 72.501816°W / 44.196705; -72.501816