Riley Center
Grand Opera House | |
NRHP reference No. | 72000696[1] |
---|---|
USMS No. | 075-MER-0086-NR-ML |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | December 27, 1972 |
Designated USMS | June 7, 1991[3] |
The Riley Center, also known as the Grand Opera House and formally as the Mississippi State University Riley Center for Education and Performing Arts, is a performing arts and conference center in Meridian, Mississippi. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
The Grand Opera House and the adjacent Marks-Rothenberg Department store were built in 1889 by half-brothers Israel Marks and Levi Rothenberg.[4] The opera house was a site for entertainment and theatre for decades.
In addition to the extensive theater renovation, the Riley Center project redeveloped the department store as a conference facility. Together the theater and conference space make up the Mississippi State University Riley Center for Education and Performing Arts, owned and operated by Mississippi State University-Meridian Campus.[1]
Original Opera House
Construction
In the late 19th century, Israel Marks and his half-brothers Levi, Sam, and Marx Rothenberg, expanded their
For an unknown reason, construction of the hotel was interrupted in process, and the brothers decided to develop a Grand Opera House instead. Factors that may have influenced the decision may have been:
- The top price for a ticket to a first-run production by a traveling company with a star, set at $1.50 (about the same price as a room in a decent hotel)
- The profit margin would be much larger for an opera house than a hotel
- Torgerson was familiar with the highly successful Grand Opera House of New Orleans, completed only a few years earlier.
- Marks spent most of the year in New York City. He would have learned about the more successful shows, and, most probably, the booking and production houses of Klaw and Erlanger, the founders of the Syndicate—the most powerful commercial force in the American theatre at the turn of the century.
Seeking quality work, the Marks-Rothenberg partnership hired
The stage, at 30 feet wide by 50 feet deep, could accommodate the largest, most lavish shows from New York. Under the 35-foot high arched proscenium an ornate painted border featured the "Lady." The image of the "Lady" eventually became the symbol of the Opera House, and in the 21st century, the Grand Opera House is often referred to affectionately as "The Lady."[4]
Performances
The Opera House was completed in late 1890, in time for the December 17 opening with Johann Strauss's recent operetta, The Gypsy Baron (1885), performed by a German-language company from New York. The same company performed Adolph Müller's romantic opera, The King's Fool (1891), the next night.[4][5]
Unlike these European works, most plays or entertainments produced at the opera house were simple
Alterations and renovations
The Opera House was remodeled in 1902, reopening on September 17. The original entrance was moved to the left of the former gallery entry. Three marble steps led up to the entrance, which had a metal extension gate that could be closed when the theatre was dark.[4] Electricity upgrades were also added in 1902.[5]
The Opera House was remodeled again in May 1920, when it was converted in part to a movie theater, the new art form whose popularity was growing rapidly. The renovated theater opened on June 7, introducing the silver screen, which can still be seen in the backstage area of the theater. In this transition the gallery was divided into two areas, allowing a center opening for the film's projection.[4]
Fall of the Opera House
The demise of the Opera House began in 1923, when it was
After the Opera House closed, the department store continued to operate under various ownerships. It was in business until 1990.[6]
Restoration
Cause for Restoration
In the 1960s the opera house was covered with metal
Funding
In 2000 The Riley Foundation made a $10 million grant for restoration, with a stipulation that
Riley Center today
The Riley Center includes a theater which seats approximately 950 people, and a 200-seat studio theater. It also includes 30,000 sq ft (2,787 m2) of meeting space for a conference center, with a large exhibit hall, break-out rooms, and board rooms.[8]
Notes
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ Meridian, MS 2007 Annual Report Archived May 29, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Mississippi Landmarks" (PDF). Mississippi Department of Archives and History. May 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 9, 2010. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Grand Opera House Project Archived February 9, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d Dennis J. Mitchell. "Grand Opera House of Mississippi". Mississippi History Now. Mississippi Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2010-08-24. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
- ^ a b c MSU Riley Center - History and Renovation Archived December 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ MSU Riley Center - Funding
- ^ MSU Riley Center - Overview Archived July 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine