Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts
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The Missouri Theatre, is a concert and entertainment venue in downtown
Columbia, Missouri Columbia is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Boone County and home to the University of Missouri. Founded in 1821, it is the principal city of the five-county Columbia metropolitan area. It is Missouri's fourth ...
, occupying most of a city block between 9th street between Locust and Elm Streets. It was designed after the
Opéra Garnier The Palais Garnier (, Garnier Palace), also known as Opéra Garnier (, Garnier Opera), is a 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102. opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera from ...
by the
Boller Brothers Boller Brothers, often written Boller Bros., was an architectural firm based in Kansas City, Missouri which specialized in theater design in the Midwestern United States during the first half of the 20th century. Carl Heinrich Boller (1868–1946 ...
, built in 1928, and is on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
. It is Columbia's only surviving pre- Depression movie palace and
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
stage. In 2011, the University of Missouri began a three-year lease of the facility. The Missouri Theatre is the resident home of the Missouri Symphony Orchestra, and is also frequently used by University of Missouri and civic groups. As of July 1, 2014, The University of Missouri took over ownership of the Missouri Theatre. It is one of the main performance venues for the
University of Missouri School of Music The School of Music is an Academic department, academic division of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. Its focus is the study of music, awarding Bachelor's degree, baccalaureate, Master's degree, master's, and Doctorate, doctoral ...
.


History

The theater opened on October 5, 1928. It was built at a cost of over 400,000 dollars which is equivalent to over 4.5 million dollars today. Advertisements in the ''
Columbia Daily Tribune The ''Columbia Daily Tribune'', commonly referred to as the ''Columbia Tribune'' or the ''Tribune'', is one of two daily newspapers in Columbia, Missouri, the other being the '' Columbia Missourian''. It is the only daily newspaper in Columbia who ...
'' proclaimed the "Formal Opening of your new Missouri Theatre—Friday Evening… A $400,000 Showhouse of Unrivaled Beauty and Extravagant Setting in Central Missouri. The Magnificent Splendor of This Palace of Amusement Will Dazzle and Thrill You." Telegrams were received from The
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in Hollywood, as well as from actors such as
Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...
and
Gloria Swanson Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress and producer. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most f ...
, congratulating the managers of the theater. On opening night the performers included The Missouri Rockettes (later to become the
Radio City Rockettes The Rockettes are an American precision dance company. Founded 1925 in St. Louis, they have, since , performed at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Until 2015, they also had a touring company. They are best known for starring in the Rad ...
) and Jack Keith and his Missouri Orchestra. It was rumored that
Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...
also made an appearance. The Theatre operated much in this fashion as well as a movie palace until 1953.Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts : About MTCA
/ref> Because of its size and extravagance the Missouri Theatre was difficult to maintain and was leased to Commonwealth Theaters, Inc. in 1953 who operated it as a single-screen movie theater until 1983. In 1979 the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The advent of the multiscreen cinemas in Columbia lead to the eventually purchase of the theatre by the Missouri Symphony Society on January 7, 1988. In 2002, the Missouri Symphony Society began plans to transform the Missouri Theatre into the Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts (MTCA). The Missouri Symphony Society experienced record-breaking success in 2005 with the Hot Summer Nights Music Festival as more than 11,200 music lovers attended concerts featuring Maestro Kirk Trevor, the Missouri Symphony Orchestra, and world-renowned guest artists throughout its eight-week summer season. On July 28, 2007, the restoration of the Missouri Theatre began after the conclusion of the Hot Summer Nights Music Festival. The following summer, the fully restored Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts re-opened with
Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birth ...
and the Hot Summer Nights Music Festival. The renovations included a new second floor with administrative offices and a 2,500 sq. ft. rooftop patio. In 2011 Missouri Theatre became home to the University Concert Series, and acts as a recital and performance venue for many University of Missouri School of Music performance groups. The Box Office is operated by Event Production Services a department of Operation Auxiliary and Services in the division of Campus Operations at the University of Missouri.


Architecture

The interior of the building is ornate baroque and rococo style of the Louis XIV and XV periods. It was designed after the Paris Opera House by the Boller Brothers Architects of
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
. Much original detail still exist, including Belgian marble wainscoting, plaster reliefs, stained glass and, one of the most notable features, an 1800-pound Italian auditorium chandelier featuring crystal prisms and etched panels. At one time, the deep red carpet in the grand lobby had the
Great Seal of Missouri The Great Seal of Missouri is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the Government of Missouri. The phrase is used both for the physical seal itself, which is kept by the secretary of state, and more generally for the design impressed u ...
and the letter M woven into it.


Missouri Symphony Orchestra

Missouri Theatre is the home of mid-Missouri's only professional resident symphony orchestra, the Missouri Symphony Orchestra (MSO). Established by the Missouri Symphony Society in 1976, the MSO is composed of musicians from throughout the United States and around the world. Through its annual eight-week season, the Hot Summer Nights Music Festival in June and July, and tours throughout the state and beyond, the Missouri Symphony Orchestra has been heralded by the
Kansas City Star ''The Kansas City Star'' is a newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Star'' is most notable for its influence on the career of President Harry S. Truman and as ...
as an ensemble that performs with "energy and elan, as well as secure technique." Since 2001, the MSO has been directed by Maestro Kirk Trevor.


Arts Education

In addition to the Missouri Symphony Society's artistic programming, the Missouri Theatre hosts multiple arts education programs and organizations, including the: * MOSS Youth Orchestra * MOSS Junior Strings * MOSS Children's Choir * University Concert Series * University of Missouri School of Music * Plowman Chamber Music Competition * True/False Film Festival


External links

*https://concertseries.missouri.edu/


References


Sources

* {{Music venues of Missouri Buildings and structures in Columbia, Missouri University of Missouri University of Missouri School of Music Theatres in Columbia, Missouri Music venues in Columbia, Missouri Cinemas and movie theaters in Missouri Performing arts centers in Missouri Boller Brothers buildings Tourist attractions in Columbia, Missouri Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri Theatres completed in 1928 National Register of Historic Places in Columbia, Missouri National Register of Historic Places in Boone County, Missouri Public venues with a theatre organ Landmarks in Columbia, Missouri