The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts (formerly the Stanley Theatre) is a

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

and concert hall located at 237 7th Street in the Cultural District of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. Designed by the Philadelphia architectural firm Hoffman-Henon, it was built in 1928 as the Stanley Theatre. The former movie palace was renovated and reopened as the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts in 1987.

History

The Stanley Theatre, built at a cost of $3 million, opened as a deluxe movie palace February 27, 1928, with seating for 3,800 people (it now seats 2,885). It was designed by the architectural firm Hoffman−Henon who were best known for their design of 35 theaters in the

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

area. The Stanley Theatre was the largest movie theater in

Western Pennsylvania Western Pennsylvania is a region in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, covering the western third of the state. Pittsburgh is the region's principal city, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic ...

. Operated by the Stanley Warner Theatres circuit division of

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

, it was Pittsburgh's main first run house for all Warner Bros. film releases. Frank Sinatra played here December 10, 1943. In 1974

War War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

and

King Crimson King Crimson are a progressive rock band formed in 1968 in London, England. The band draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, incorporating elements of classical, jazz, folk, heavy metal, gamelan, industrial, electronic, experime ...

played at the Stanley. On April 29, 1974, the

King Biscuit Flower Hour The ''King Biscuit Flower Hour'' was an American syndicated radio show presented by the D.I.R. Radio Network that featured concert performances by various rock music recording artists. History The program was broadcast on Sunday nights from 197 ...

recorded a show at the Stanley by

Robin Trower Robin Leonard Trower (born 9 March 1945) is an English rock guitarist who achieved success with Procol Harum throughout 1967–1971, and then again as the bandleader of his own power trio known as the Robin Trower Band. Biography Robin Trowe ...

for a later broadcast. In 1976, the Stanley was purchased and renovated by the Cinemette Corporation to be operated as a movie theater. In 1977,

DiCesare Engler Productions ''DiCesare Engler Productions'' was a Pittsburgh-based concert promotion firm. The company was formed in late 1973 when Pat DiCesare, who was the dominant concert promoter in the region, chose Pittsburgh native Rich Engler to form a new partnersh ...

bought the theater. September 23, 1978, Frank Zappa played two sets at the Stanley Theatre. Live rock and roll concerts presented through 1984. The Grateful Dead performed four shows at the venue, and reggae musician

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

performed his last live concert there in 1980, before his death in 1981. The only known photographs from the show were featured in Kevin Macdonald's documentary film '' Marley''.

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

kicked off his

Controversy Tour The Controversy Tour was a concert tour by American recording artist Prince in support of his fourth studio album '' Controversy''. The tour included Zapp and Roger and The Time as an opening act. History The Controversy Tour marked the debut ...

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

at the Stanley. The rock band

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

chose the Benedum Center to host its 40th Anniversary Fan Appreciation Concert on August 17, 2013, which all the original members were to attend. The Stanley Theater was named "Number One Auditorium in the U.S." by '' Billboard'' several times during the DiCesare-Engler years.

Restoration

On September 25, 1987, after a $43 million restoration was completed, the Stanley reopened as the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts. In converting the former movie palace into a full performing arts center, a new building including an extension to the stage and support facilities was built at the rear of the theater. The interior was largely preserved and restored to its original design, with the addition of a new acoustical baffle covering the original proscenium. Chandelier, Benedum Center, Pittsburgh, 2019-10-15, 01

Chandelier, Benedum Center, Pittsburgh, 2019-10-15, 01

The centerpiece of the auditorium is the large chandelier in the dome above the balcony. It weighs , is high by wide. Its restoration was dedicated to the late H.J. Heinz II. Today the center is the home of the

Pittsburgh Opera Pittsburgh Opera is an American opera company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh Opera gives performances in several venues, primarily at the Benedum Center, with other performances at the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts Sch ...

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) is an American professional ballet company based in the Strip District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA). History 1969 - Founding The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre was founded in 1969 by a Yugoslavian choreog ...

, and

Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (Pittsburgh CLO) is a nonprofit professional theater company based in the Cultural District of Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Despite its name, the organization presents musical theatre classics rather t ...

, all of which used to be based at

Heinz Hall Heinz Hall is a performing arts center and concert hall located at 600 Penn Avenue in the Cultural District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Home to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) and the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, the 2,676 sea ...

. The 2,800-seat Benedum Center is a centerpiece of the Pittsburgh Cultural District and is one of the most utilized theaters in the nation today. The center has hosted several

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

doo-wop television concert specials including '' Doo Wop 50''. The TV game show '' Wheel of Fortune'' taped two weeks of shows at the theater for the first two weeks of their 16th season in 1998.

In popular culture

*2011's '' Live Forever: September 23, 1980 • Stanley Theatre • Pittsburgh, PA'' was recorded at the center. *HBO's '' Boardwalk Empire'' mentioned a tap dancing act as having played "the Stanley" in Pittsburgh for three weeks during its season 4 premier. *The Benedum Center was featured prominently in the 2006

mockumentary film A mockumentary (a blend of ''mock'' and ''documentary''), fake documentary or docu-comedy is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on ...

'' directed by

Jeff Goldblum Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum (; born October 22, 1952) is an American actor and musician. He has starred in some of the highest-grossing films of his era, such as ''Jurassic Park'' (1993) and ''Independence Day'' (1996), as well as their sequels. ...

. The film follows Goldblum's appearances in the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera production of ''

The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments ...

'' staged at the theater.

References

External links

Benedum Center

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Pittsburgh Opera

Stanley Theater History -Big Band Era

Stanley Theater History -Rock Era
{{authority control Theatres completed in 1928 City of Pittsburgh historic designations Concert halls in Pennsylvania Movie palaces Music venues in Pittsburgh Opera houses in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania opera companies Performing arts centers in Pennsylvania Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmarks Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Theatres in Pennsylvania Theatres in Pittsburgh Music venues completed in 1977 1928 establishments in Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Pittsburgh Event venues on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania

History

Restoration

In popular culture

See also

References

External links