Central City Opera House - Central City, CO - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com

In 1878 the Central City Opera House opened with "a dazzling social display" as "the intelligence of this section of the mountains" sat at the feet of Henry Ward Beecher to hear him lecture on 'Hard Times,' a curious choice of subject for that opulent gold camp. For many years the opera house remained one of the leading theaters in the State, and Edwin Booth, Lotta Crabtree, Januscheck, Modjeska, and almost every noted player of the time trod its boards. [pg. 93]

A notable exception to the use of brick is the Central City Opera House, completed in 1878, built from granite from the surrounding hills. [pg. 81]

Undoubtedly the most publicized dramatic event in Colorado is the annual Central City Play Festival, which is held three weeks each summer. In 1932 the historic old Central City Opera House, which had been boarded up for years, was presented to the University of Denver, and has been authentically restored by the Central City Opera House Association with funds raised by the sale of memorial chairs bearing the names of celebrities of early days. When it was announced in 1932 that Lillian Gish would appear in 'Camille' under the direction of Robert Edmond Jones, many scoffed, arguing the town was too isolated to ensure the success of the festival; a few old-timers screamed sacrilege. But even the most skeptical were silenced the next year when 'The Merry Widow,' played by Gladys Swarthout, Richard Bonelli, and a fine Metropolitan cast, attracted record attendance. Later, Walter Huston appeared in 'Othello' and Ruth Gordon in 'The Doll's House.' Several Gilbert and Sullivan operas have been presented, but by far the most successful production was the fourth, 'Central City Nights,' which revived many favorite musicial and dramatic acts of the days when the old opera house was in its glory. [pg. 96]

Colorado. A Guide to the Highest State, 1941

I have always enjoyed Central City. The Opera House is still used to this day for performances during the summer. Their website http://www.centralcityopera.org/ presents the scheduled shows as well as ticket purchase and historic preservation. Care of the building has had its ups and downs over the years, but it was totally restored in the 1980s-1990s. The company celebrated their 75th year in 2007. Excerpted from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_City_Opera_House .