Howard Theatre Receives $350,000 in Assistance
Save America’s Treasures, a program under the National Park Service, has just awarded the Howard Theatre Restoration Inc. $350,000, according to the Washington Business Journal.
Built in 1910, Shaw's Howard Theatre is America's first full-size theater made for African-American audiences. Exactly a century after its birth, the structure—located at 7th and T streets NW—is expected to undergo a major revitalization effort in 2010. The project will cost $25 million. Judging from this excellent, appropriately theatrical video posted on the restoration organization's website, the venue is in truly decrepit shape right now. According to artistic renderings, the ground floor will be redeveloped as a dinner theater-type setting, with a balcony still above. For those that haven't checked out the website, it's pretty impressive—lots of information and pictures of past performers.
Photo by Travir, Flickr Creative Commons
2:59 pm
the lincoln theater is two blocks away and routinely needs cash infusions from the district because it does not generate any business. how will this be any different?
i live in the neighborhood and desperately want that theater fixed up, but fixing up anohter theater only to have it stand unused seems pretty idiotic. maybe i'm not understanding how this will differ from the lincoln, which is basically the same size and in a much safer/convenient location.
9:58 am
Some historical preservation types are against the proposal to gut the Howard's theatre style seats and replace them with a cabaret/dinner theatre layout.
The Lincoln is poorly managed. Especially with its budget issues, it should be be trying to get press and web attention for its events, but it never seems to do so. It should also be trying to work with the 930 Club and others to have more outside promoter handled events.
This area has so many 1,000 to 2,000 seat locations already--the Warner, Lisner, Lincoln, Clarice Smith, Strathmore, George Mason Center for the Arts, & the Montg. Comm. Coll. Theatre. Most of them sit empty pretty regularly.