Howard Theatre

Early history

Constructed in 1910, the theater was founded and owned by the National Amusement Company, a white-owned group. When built, it had a capacity of more than 1,200. Designed by J. Edward Storck, the theater featured orchestra and balcony seats and eight proscenium boxes, with a lavishly decorated interior.{{cite web |access-date=2013-03-23 |archive-date=2013-04-10 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130410125635/http://ascribehq.com/martinezjohnson-architecture/portfolio/5066 |url-status=dead

Andrew Thomas served as the theater's manager during its early years. Beginning in 1922 it was leased and run by actor, producer, and entrepreneur Sherman Dudley. It was taken over in 1926 by Abe Lichtman, the white owner of a chain of movie theaters that were frequented by Blacks. With the onset of the Great Depression, the building became a church for a time under the direction of Elder Michaux.

The Howard Theatre lost its original ornate facade in 1941 when it was redone in the then-fashionable Streamline style. Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor would attend balls at the theater during World War II. These balls featured performers like Danny Kaye, Abbott and Costello and Cesar Romero, among others. Also in the 1940s, Pearl Bailey made her debut at the Howard Theatre.

The Howard Theatre turned into a house for rock 'n' roll and rhythm and blues during the 1950s and 1960s, when many important acts from both genres played there. Among the acts to grace the stage were Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Sammy Davis Jr., James Brown, Lena Horne, Lionel Hampton, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and Dionne Warwick, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells{{cite press release |access-date=23 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424223900/http://www.howardtheatre.org/Press_Releases/Release_2-22-07.pdf |archive-date=24 April 2012 |url-status=dead

The 1968 riots, which followed the April 4 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., caused the venue a great deal of harm. The riots, coupled with desegregation, contributed to the theater's difficulty in attracting patrons, and the theater closed in 1970. Three years later, in 1973, the Howard Theatre Foundation was organized to reopen the venue. It was this organization which succeeded, in 1974, in gaining the building historic landmark status. In April 1975, the New Howard Theatre Corporation presented an evening of entertainment to salute the reopening of the theater. Redd Foxx and Melba Moore were among the acts featured at the theater's reopening. Later in the decade, go-go bands played the venue, and Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers also performed at the Howard Theatre in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1980, the theater closed again. At the time it was the oldest venue in the country that featured Black artists. Under Mayor Marion Barry the theatre was purchased by the District government for $100,000. In 2002, the DC Preservation League listed the Howard Theatre as one of its Most Endangered Places in the District.

Reopening

In 2006, the Howard Theatre was returned to private ownership when Ellis Development was selected to renovate and restore the theatre.{{cite news|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2006/09/11/story7.html |title=Ellis group plots encore for D.C.'s Howard Theatre

Ellis Development, led by Chip Ellis and his son, Malik Ellis, formed Howard Theatre Development Group LLC. Through Howard Theatre Development Group, Ellis Development received nearly $12 million in District funds to redevelop and reopen the theatre.

In September 2010, groundbreaking for extensive renovations of the theater was held. The project's goals were to restore the Howard Theatre to 600 seats, complementing developments at the adjacent Progression Place. Martinez + Johnson Architecture and Marshall Moya Design were responsible for the restoration, architecture, and design of the theater. The theater reopened for Community Day on April 9, 2012. The grand opening event was held on April 10.

Acts

Since its reopening, it has hosted a diverse lineup of well-known acts, including Vic Mensa, Anthony Hamilton, Raheem DeVaughn, Chrisette Michele, Tamia, Dianne Reeves, Gregory Porter, Esperanza Spalding, Pete Yorn, José James, The Roots, Slick Rick, Chaka Khan, Sizzla, Aaron Neville, Kendrick Lamar, Sheila E, Keke Wyatt, and Todrick Hall.

References

References

1. (November 1998). ["National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Greater U Street Historic District"]({{NRHP url).
2. {{NRISref
3. (1975). "Howard Theatre Gala Re-Opening Program". New Howard Theatre Corporation (found at Historical Society of Washington, DC library).
4. Ramanathan, Lavanya. (4 April 2016). "Money problems and no-name acts: The Howard Theatre is struggling. Again.". [[The Washington Post]].
5. O'Connell, Jonathan. (6 December 2015). "Howard Theatre owes big tax bill, comes under review by attorney general". Washington Business Journal.
6. Gomez., Luis. (8 April 2012). "Monday: Howard Theatre Community Day".
7. Gomez, Luis. (12 April 2012). "Howard Theatre Reopens with a Party".