The 1891 Fredonia Opera House is located in the Village Hall, in downtown Fredonia, New York at 9-11 Church St. Currently a year-round performing arts center, it offers a variety of live performances, presents a cinema series of first run Independent and foreign films, and serves as a rental venue for community meetings, debates, weddings and performances.
The architect of the Village Hall was Enoch Curtis. Well known in this region, he used what has been termed "Queen Anne eclectic style" for the exterior of the structure as well as for the interior office spaces. In the Opera House, however, he allowed himself freer rein. Elements of major classical theatres in Europe and New York were freely adapted and, with the aid of new (at that time) technology, produced with relatively inexpensive and readily available materials. The graceful curve of the horseshoe balcony, the wood-turning decorating the boxes and the front of the balcony, as well as the large, ornate, pressed-metal proscenium, were all echoes of world-renowned theatres. These elements are all still present in the restored theatre. Originally, the hall had a frescoed plaster ceiling, but that succumbed to water damage and in 1903 was replaced by the current tin ceiling, also now refurbished. Remodeling occurred several times. During the first decade of this century the original gas lighting was gradually replaced by electric.
In 1926 the original folding wooden chairs were replaced by larger Heywood-Wakefield seats, many of which are still in place. New stairs to the balcony were installed, as was the current projection booth. New motion picture equipment was added and some time later the house windows, now revealed, were plastered over. There were, however, long periods of neglect, and by 1981 the Opera House had deteriorated so badly that it had to be closed.
The opening of the Opera House in April 1891 was a gala affair at which smartly dressed guests from throughout the region were treated to a rousing performance of Josephine, Empress of the French. The evening also was the realization of a dream for Village officials whose plans for an imposing municipal building overlooking Barker Commons (the Village Square) had, from the beginning, included an Opera House. This was a dream shared by many late 19th-century communities where it was felt that, with the coming of the railroads, their relatively isolated citizens could now have access to performing arts and other events formerly available only in major cities.
Fredonia's Opera House was an exceptionally large and elegant community theatre able to support such a wide range of activities that, for almost 100 years after opening night, virtually every citizen's life was in some way enriched. Attracted by the excellent acoustics, many of the best late 19th and early 20th century entertainers performed and brought troupes here. The stage was graced by such well known personalities as Clara Morris, James O'Neill and Pat Rooney. With a blend of professional and local talent, there were minstrel shows and light opera and dramatic offerings including Hamlet, Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch, Ten Nights in a Barroom and Uncle Tom's Cabin. There were musical recitals and political oratory, graduations and religious services, and demonstrations of wrestling and cooking. Elderly Fredonians recall participating in talent shows featuring tap dancing and singing. From the first decade of the 20th century on, however, there was an increasing presence of motion pictures and, after 1926, while live performances continued, movies dominated.
In 1983 a plan to demolish the building engendered public outcry. The Fredonia Preservation Society came into existence in response to this threatened demolition and lobbied for the building's rehabilitation.
In 1985 Village Trustees, in a reprise of the financial technique used to construct the building, decided to float a bond to renovate its administrative portions, and that decision was overwhelmingly supported in a public referendum. At that time, the Society committed itself to raising funds to rehabilitate the Opera House. Funding was accomplished by a locally conducted capital construction campaign, an Environmental Quality Bond Act grant through the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, several smaller state grants, help from the Gebbie Foundation and from the Village itself. Throughout, significant amounts of volunteer contributions of labor and material helped. Approximately $900,000 was raised, and after a nearly ten-year restoration process, the Opera House is now open and for another century of public service as a multi-purpose community cultural center.
Fredonia is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 11,230 as of the 2010 census. Fredonia is in the town of Pomfret south of Lake Erie. The village borders the city of Dunkirk and is the home of the State University of New York at Fredonia.
The Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in French, or The Koninklijke Muntschouwburg in Dutch, is an opera house in Brussels, Belgium. Both of its names translate as Royal Theatre of the Mint.
The War Memorial Opera House is an opera house in San Francisco, California, located on the western side of Van Ness Avenue across from the west side/rear facade of the San Francisco City Hall.
The Ellie Caulkins Opera House, which opened on September 10, 2005, is located in Denver, Colorado as part of the large Denver Performing Arts Complex. It seats 2,225. The Caulkins family pledged $7 million towards the enhancement of the lyric opera house and adjacent public spaces which were constructed inside of the Newton Auditorium.
Grand Théâtre de Genève is an opera house in Geneva, Switzerland.
The Theatre Royal, was an opera house and performance venue in Wexford Ireland which opened in 1832 and closed in 2005. It was the home of the annual Wexford Festival Opera, and has now been replaced by The National Opera House.
The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, USA, at 16th and Broadway, near the Power & Light District, the Sprint Center and the Crossroads Arts District. Its construction was a major part of the ongoing redevelopment of downtown Kansas City.
The Universal Preservation Hall, located at 25 Washington Street in Saratoga Springs, NY is a year-round arts and community events venue. It currently has a 300-350 seat performance space, as well as a large, open, community room. It also houses the worship space for the Universal Baptist Church, a historically African-American congregation.
Sandwich City Hall, which is also known as the Sandwich City Hall & Opera House, is the government center for the city of Sandwich, Illinois in DeKalb County. The first floor of the building is occupied by city government while the second floor of the historic building houses an active opera house. Sandwich City Hall & Opera House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been since 1979.
The Springer Opera House is a historic theater at 103 Tenth Street in Downtown Columbus, Georgia. First opened February 21, 1871, the theater was named the State Theatre of Georgia by Governor Jimmy Carter for its 100th anniversary season, a designation made permanent by the 1992 state legislature. The Springer has hosted legendary performers such as Edwin Booth, Oscar Wilde, Ethel Barrymore, Agnes de Mille, and bandleader John Philip Sousa. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and named a National Historic Landmark in 1978 for its architecture and state of preservation.
The Tyne Theatre and Opera House is a theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is a Grade I listed building[1], rated "in the top 4% of listed buildings" by English Heritage and is afforded a three star rating by the Theatres Trust, "a very fine theatre of the highest theatrical and architectural quality". It opened in 1867 as the Tyne Theatre and Opera House, designed by the Newcastle upon Tyne architecture practice of William Parnell. The backstage area was damaged by fire in 1985, with subsequent rebuilding restoring the Victorian stage machinery.
The Ramsdell Theatre is an historic playhouse and opera house located at 101 Maple Street in downtown Manistee, Michigan, built in 1902 - 1903 by local lawyer and philanthropist Thomas Jefferson Ramsdell. It is located at the corner of First and Maple Streets. It is a Michigan Historic Building serving as a cultural center for Western Michigan.
The Emery Theatre, or Emery Auditorium, is a historic, acoustically exceptional theater located in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. The building was constructed in 1911 as the home for a trade school, but its large, impressive auditorium was intended for public use. The design of the Emery Theatre is based on the "isacoustic curve" principles that were first proposed by John Scott Russell. The theatre was built with two balconies and a total of 2,211 seats. It was one of the first concert halls in the United States to have no obstructed seats.
Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts is Located at 71 East Main Street in Patchogue Village, Suffolk County, New York.
The Standard Theatre, now known as the Folly Theater and also known as the Century Theater and Shubert's Missouri, is a former vaudeville hall in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Built in 1900, it was designed by Kansas City architect Louis S. Curtiss. The theater was associated with the adjoining Edward Hotel, which was also designed by Curtiss; the hotel was demolished in 1965.
The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House is an opera house located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas (USA).
Earlville Opera House is a historic theater at Earlville in Chenango County, New York. It was built in 1890 and occupies four of the eight units of the Douglass Block. The three story opera house rises above the two story annex with the theater and balcony occupying the second and third floors, while storefronts are housed on the first floor. The heyday of the opera house was from the 1890s to the 1920s; in 1937 it was renovated for talking motion pictures and was in use as a movie house until 1950. It is located within the Earlville Historic District. It is used as a community arts center.
Hudson Hall at the historic Hudson Opera House is an arts organization and venue in downtown Hudson, New York. The organization hosts arts and cultural programming. The building, built in 1855 as Hudson's city hall, is New York's oldest surviving theater.
George Keister was an American architect. His work includes the Hotel Gerard (1893), Astor Theatre (1906), Belasco Theatre (1907), the Apollo Theater (1914), the Bronx Opera House (1913), the Selwyn Theatre (1918), now known as American Airlines Theatre, and the First Baptist Church in the City of New York. He also designed Woodbridge Hall at 431 Riverside Drive (1901), which faced demolition in 1996, and the Sigma Chi Fraternity at 565 W. 113th St. (1903).
The Lexington Opera House is a theatre located at 401 West Short Street in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. Built in 1886, the Opera House replaced the former theatre, located on the corner of Main and Broadway, after fire destroyed it in January 1886. The new Opera House was designed by the renowned architect Oscar Cobb and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its historical and architectural significance. It is currently owned and operated by the Lexington Center Corporation, and it hosts ballets, opera, children's productions, family shows, comedy, music and professional national Broadway tours. The Lexington Opera House is one of 14 theatres in the country built before 1900 with less than 1,000 seats that is still in operation as a live performance venue.