Detroit Theatre District
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The Detroit Theatre District is an unofficial term used to describe over a dozen performing arts venues in Detroit, Michigan. Ranked second in the United States to Manhattan's Broadway for seating capacity, the stages and old time film palaces are generally located along Woodward Avenue, the city's spine, between downtown and New Center area.
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[edit] Theatre history
Detroit has a long theatrical history, with many venues dating back to the 1920s. The city has been a place for operatic, symphonic, musical and popular acts since the first part of the twentieth century, but during the 1960s and 1970s many theatres closed or were abandoned in Detroit’s economic contraction. It was not until the late 1990s that many of the great old motion picture screens and live performance stages were restored. The Fox Theatre, Detroit Opera House, and State Theatre were three of the most notable. Other places were modernized and expanded, such as the Orchestra Hall, and smaller sites with long histories in the city were preserved by physically moving the entire structure. The Gem Theatre and Century Theatre were taken in total to a new address when Comerica Park was being constructed. The Detroit Institute of Arts contains the 1200 seat Detroit Film Theatre.
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. Along with sports teams and casinos, the Detroit Theatre District has revitalized neighborhoods like Foxtown, Greektown, the Cultural Center and New Center. The Eastown Theatre (8041 Harper Ave.) is in need of development.
[edit] See also
- James Nederlander
- Greektown Casino
- MGM Grand Detroit
- Motor City Casino
- Music of Detroit
- Michigan Theater
- United Artists Theatre Building
- Nederlander Theater
[edit] References
- 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.
[edit] External links
- Bonstelle Theatre - Wayne State University
- Detroit Symphony Orchestra - Orchestra Hall
- Detroit Repertory Theatre
- Detroit Opera House - Motopera Theatre
- Forgotten Detroit - See United Artists, Madison, National, and Adams Theatres
- Gem and Century Theatres
- Hilberry Theatre - Wayne State University
- Michigan Theatre parking garage conversion
- Nederlander Detroit - The Fisher Theatre and Masonic Temple Theatre
- Olympia Entertainment - The Fox Theatre and the City Theatre
- Plowshares Theatre
- Redford Theatre
- State Theatre
- Studio Theatre - Wayne State University
Fox Theatre - State Theatre - Orchestra Hall - Detroit Masonic Temple - Detroit Film Theatre - Detroit Opera House - Fisher Theatre - Max M. Fisher Music Center - Gem Theatre - Century Theatre - City Theatre - Hilberry Theatre - Bonstelle Theatre - Studio Theatre - Redford Theatre - Michigan Theater - Eastown Theatre
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