Detroit Opera House - Photos
Detroit Opera House
At the southwest corner of the Detroit Opera House, a huge mural of its proscenium can be seen, overlooking the intersection of John R and Broadway Detroit Opera House
The facade as seen from Broadway
The Detroit Opera House facade as seen from Madison. The V-shaped structure has the theater built in the middle and two office/storage buildings attached. If the theater failed, the investors still had rent money coming in.
A grand view at the auditorium in Jun 2023
At the time of its gala premiere on January 12, 1922, the 4,250-seat theater claimed to be the fifth largest in the world.
Today, the main auditorium seats over 2,700 opera goers
The view of the proscenium arch and stage from the balcony.
The restored elegance of the Detroit Opera House's Great Hall.
Chandelier reflections on the second floor of the Great Hall
Designed by renowned Detroit architect C. Howard Crane, whose genius for theater design took him to cities around the nation, the building was constructed with superb acoustics and in the style of the grand European opera houses.
Box Seating at its finest. There are 17 boxes in the theater.
Beautiful developed glass and hundreds of rosettes in the ceiling above the box seating area.
Looking up at the auditorium's dome ceiling
Looking down from above the dome's ceiling
A look at the balcony section from above the "big oval"
Roof construction from a time without the support of advanced software
Roof construction from a time without the support of advanced software
A peek inside the former projector room
A peek inside the former projector room
The stage and a peek at the incredible rigging used to handle large stage shows.
The Center of Dance at the Detroit Opera House
A view at the skyline from the dance floor
A view at the skyline from the dance floor
A different view at the Great Hall
A different view at the Great Hall from the second floor
A different view at the Great Hall from the second floor
A view from the 3rd floor
Elaborate entrance lobby off of Broadway. This lobby wasn't restored until two years after reopening in 1996. The funding to restore wasn't available until after Ford Motor Company issued a grant. The chandelier was stolen during abandonment but Ford provided a beautiful chandelier out of the Ford Museum which is now on a permanent loan to the Opera House.
Entrance lobby on Madison Ave.
The Cadillac Cafe at The Detroit Opera House. The light fixtures inside the Cadillac Cafe were saved from a Masonic Temple in Toledo which was demolished shortly after.
A peek inside one of the star dressing rooms near the stage
View at the auditorium from stage
Detroit Opera House’s Sky Deck
Detroit Opera House’s Sky Deck
Excellent views at the city from the sky deck.
A view at the auditorium from the stage
A view at the Mr. & Mrs Lynn Townsend lobby on the 2nd floor
A view at the Northeast corner of the complex on an early morning after heavy rainfall.
Opera House Great Hall during Holiday season
The beautiful Broadway Avenue elevation during sunset in March 2023
Opera House auditorium filled with people - Dec. 2022
Opera House Grand Hall Chandalier
Another viewpoint for the stunning entrance lobby on Broadway
A view at the auditorium from backstage
A beautiful display of what a theater candy bar used to look like - Photo from July 2023
This is what used to be the gentleman's smoking lounge right under the Grand Staircase. This section of the building was completely under water before the renovation.
The original all-plaster fireplace was completely rebuilt, same with the ceiling beams which are all-plaster too. Today, the room is part of the man's restrooms. Here's a view from the fireplace toward the sitting area with beautiful glass windows.
A view from the Grand Hall into the auditorium
The Theater's history on display
The Theater's history on display
The box office today (on the right) is very similar to the original box office. It's a combination of marble and plaster.