The Howard Theatre
*The Howard Theatre Opened on this date in 1910.
This is a historic theater located at 620 T Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., Constructed in 1910; the theater was founded and owned by the National Amusement Company, a white-owned group. When built, it had a capacity of more than 1,200.
Designed by J. Edward Storck, the theater featured orchestra and balcony seats and eight proscenium boxes, with a lavishly decorated interior. No less extravagant was the exterior, which combined elements of the Beaux-Arts, Italian Renaissance, and neoclassical styles. The whole was surmounted by a larger-than-life statue of Apollo playing his lyre. In its heyday, the theater was known for catering to an African American clientele. It had hosted many of the great black musical artists of the early and mid-twentieth century.
The Howard Theatre was billed as the "Theater of the People" and supported two theatrical organizations, the Lafayette Players and Howard University Players. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In September 2010, extensive renovations were started to restore the theater to its former glory. The theater reopened on April 9, 2012, to headline acts like Wanda Sykes, Blue Oyster Cult, and Chaka Khan, all appearing in the first month after its reopening.
