Brief History of the Detroit Opera House
The present Detroit Opera House opened in 1922 and was originally known as the Capitol Theater. It was among the first of several performance venues built around Detroit's Grand Circus Park. When it opened, the theater was the fifth largest in the world, seating up to 4,250 people. In 1929, the Capitol Theater's name was changed to the Paramount Theater, and in 1934 was changed again, to the Broadway Capitol Theater.
During the first few decades of the building's history, it featured artists such as jazz legends Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, although at one point the business at the Paramount Theatre had decreased so substantially that in desperation it was converted into a movie theatre, specializing in soft core porn.
Following a minor restoration in the 1960s, the building became the 3,367-seat Grand Circus Theatre. The building was closed in 1978, then reopened in 1981 only to close again in 1985.
In 1988, the Michigan Opera Theatre purchased the building and dubbed it the Detroit Opera House, after an extensive restoration and stage expansion. The reopening in 1996 was celebrated with a gala event featuring Luciano Pavarotti and other noted artists. The Detroit Opera House is now configured with seating for an audience of 2,700. Since 1996, the opera house has annually hosted five opera productions, five dance productions from touring companies, and a variety of other musical and comedy events.
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