The Edythe C. and Stanley L. Harrison Opera House, also known as the Harrison Opera House, is the official home of the

Virginia Opera Virginia Opera is an opera company based in the Commonwealth of Virginia which was first organized in 1974 by a group of Norfolk, Virginia community volunteers. The company presented its first productions in 1975, and in the following four decad ...

in the Neon District of

Downtown Norfolk Downtown Norfolk serves as the traditional center of commerce, government, and culture in the Hampton Roads region. Norfolk, Virginia's downtown waterfront shipping and port activities historically played host to numerous and often noxious port and ...

on the border of the Ghent Square neighborhood. Built as a public works auditorium, this theatre served as a venue for

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

shows. The theater was known previously as Norfolk Center Theater. The venue was renovated by architecture firm, GUND Partnership, reopening in 1993 as a dedicated opera facility with a 1,632 seating capacity. The building originally contained both the USO/Center Theater along with the adjoining former

Norfolk Municipal Auditorium Norfolk Municipal Auditorium was a 5,200 seat multi-purpose arena and music venue in Norfolk, Virginia, United States of America, USA that opened in May 1943. The arena was constructed after the Norfolk, Virginia, City of Norfolk and the United St ...

, which now serves as storage and administrative space for the Virginia Opera. The opera house is named after Stanley and Edythe Harrison, a former member of the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

and founding president of the Virginia Opera.

External links

City of Norfolk's ''Seven Venues'' official site

Harrison Opera House: Virginia Opera's official site

References

Opera houses in Virginia Music venues in Virginia Buildings and structures in Norfolk, Virginia Culture of Norfolk, Virginia Tourist attractions in Norfolk, Virginia Theatres in Virginia Downtown Norfolk, Virginia {{Opera-struct-stub