The Frauenthal Center for Performing Arts is located in downtown

Muskegon Muskegon ( ') is a city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Muskegon County. Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, pleasure boating, and as a commercial and cruise ship port. It is a popular vacation destination because of the expan ...

in the

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Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. It consists of the Frauenthal Theater, formerly the Michigan Theater, and additional performance, exhibition, and support spaces in the Hilt Building. The Frauenthal Theater opened as the Michigan Theater in 1930, and was one of 17 theaters in downtown Muskegon. Today, it serves as a cultural center for Muskegon, under the management of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County.

Programming

The Frauenthal Center's programming includes live music, theater, dance, film, and comedy, featuring local and touring artists. The

West Michigan Symphony Orchestra The West Michigan Symphony (formerly the West Shore Symphony Orchestra) is a professional orchestra made up of 60 core musicians, performing at the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts in Muskegon, Michigan. The current Music Director/ Con ...

and the Muskegon Civic Theatre host their seasons at the Frauenthal. Annual events include the

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pageant and the Mona Shores Singing Christmas Tree choir show. The theater also hosts a free monthly movie series and an art gallery.

Facilities

The Frauenthal Center includes multiple performance spaces, which support the variety of programming at the center. The 1708-seat Frauenthal Theater features the original Barton pipe organ and updated technical systems, and hosts most large performances. The 169-seat Beardsley Theater is used for smaller dramatic performances and lectures. Additional facilities include a ballroom, an art gallery, office space, and conference spaces.

History

The Frauenthal Theater was built in 1929 as the Michigan Theater, at a cost of $690,000. It opened on September 17, 1930, under the management of the Schlossman Theaters chain. The theater was built at a cost of $600,000, , and was described by the ''Muskegon Times'' as "a marble-like monument of grace and beauty" and Muskegon's "first 100%

talkies A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

" theater. The Michigan Theater's original

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decor was painted over in the 1950s, and the Schlossman company went out of business in the 1960s. The Michigan Theater would have likely met the fate of other theaters in downtown Muskegon, if not for the efforts of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County. The foundation purchased the entire block containing the theater with a $1.5 million gift from local industrialist A. Harold Frauenthal, and renamed the theater after him. Through the 1970s and 1980s, the Frauenthal Theatre found itself in need of additional support spaces. This prompted the conversion of an adjacent building, a former furniture store. The Hilt Building forms the newest portion of the complex, and opened in 1984, featuring the 169-seat Beardsley Theater, expanded dressing rooms and other spaces. Another renovation campaign began in 1992, with the creation of a master plan for the theater. The voters of Muskegon approved a $16 million bond issue to support the renovation, which was completed in 1998. The lighting, sound, and rigging systems were updated, the original Spanish Renaissance-style decor was restored, and the lobby was expanded to connect with the Hilt Building.

External links

References

Buildings and structures in Muskegon, Michigan Theatres in Michigan Performing arts centers in Michigan Tourist attractions in Muskegon, Michigan Event venues established in 1929 Concert halls in Michigan {{Authority control