Public Spaces
Once great Howard Theatre will be great again
Earlier this month three dozen people donned hard hats to get a sneak preview of the ongoing renovation of Shaw's historic Howard Theatre, at 620 T Street, NW. The nearly $30 million project will restore one of Washington's most storied performance venues.
Façade of the Howard Theatre earlier this month. Photo by the author.
The grand opening is scheduled for April 12, 2012, though renovations could finish as early as February.
According to Washington's U Street: A Biography, Howard Theatre opened on August 22, 1910, with 1,500 seats. The Washington Bee proclaimed it "the finest theatre in the city." The Bee added, "[T]he private boxes were filled with ladies of society. The orchestra was monopolized with the social elite of Washington, gayly and gorgeously dressed in gowns fit for goddesses."
In its earliest days, the theatre hosted vaudeville, musicals, road shows, stock company productions, and even a circus or two. For a short time during the Great Depression the building hosted a church, but by 1931 the theatre was restored to a lively performance space. Over the decades the theatre hosted stars of jazz, rock-n-roll, rhythm and blues, and some early front-runners of go-go.
Unable to survive the economic troubles of the era, the Howard Theatre closed shortly after the 1968 riots that decimated so much of central Washington. It re-opened in the mid-1970s, but closed again by the early 1980s. It has been shuttered for the past 3 decades.
Immortalized in song and verse by Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, Jean Toomer and others, the theatre's pending reopening, along with the adjacent development of Progression Place on 7th Street, is already triggering memories of Washington's "Black Broadway."
"The Howard was the first major theatre built for and by black folks," said Timothy A. Jones, ANC 4C08, as he gripped a binder filled with photocopies of old photos, show programs, and newspaper clippings.
"The Howard seems to have been a place where local kids who thought they might be able to be musicians could come hang out back stage. Several discovered that they did want to be musicians," says Blair A. Rube, author of Washington's U Street.
The ground breaking for the renovations was held in early September, 2010, just weeks after the theatre's centennial anniversary.
Unfortunately, not much from the building's interior could be saved. According to construction project manager Ryan Colombo, water damage caused by leaks in the roof had destroyed most of the interior.
The renovated interior will have a standing room capacity of around 1,000, and seating capacity of between 400 and 500. There will be fewer than 100 permanent seats, all of which will be located on the 2nd floor balcony. The first floor will be flexible for either standing or banquet seating. The renovated stage will include DJ booths set to either side.
A new basement has been built which will have bathrooms, dressing rooms, a green room, and a large kitchen.
On the exterior, the façade's original 17 windows have been restored. Additionally, a new free standing statue will be added to the building's front. The statue will consist of stainless steel rods in the shape of a trumpet player, and will be called "Jazz Man".
In 2002, the DC Preservation League named the Howard one of its Most Endangered Places. According to Executive Director Rebecca Mller, "The Howard is a cultural as well as an architectural landmark." It is gratifying to see it restored and put to good use.
With the re-opening of the Howard Theatre, the revitalization of the U Street district continues to creep eastward, bringing neighborhoods back to life and returning a piece of the city's past glory.
A version of this story appeared in The Washington Informer.
 | John Muller is a local journalist and historian. His first book, Frederick Douglass in Washington, DC: The Lion of Anacostia, was published by The History Press last year. John is now at work on Mark Twain in Washington, DC.    |
Comments
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by mch on Dec 21, 2011 11:11 am • link • report
by Thayer-D on Dec 21, 2011 11:12 am • link • report
by Adam L on Dec 21, 2011 11:20 am • link • report
If the Lincoln theater just a few blocks away is failing (and it is right above a Metro station and street bustling with people), what says this theater will do any better? I know the theater is historic and beautiful (I've wanted to see it renovated for years myself), but is it fiscally responsible for the city to put $8 Million into when last year my high school lost $800,00 from its budget, cutting several teachers and packing classrooms. If one theater can't draw enough people to operate, how can two? Think people.
by Alex on Dec 21, 2011 11:21 am • link • report
Read my comment. While they were both once historic theatres, they will now have very different uses. The Lincoln Theatre is basically a 1,250-seat auditorium, which was made to host seated performances and not much else.
The Howard Theatre will essentially be an event rental space. You could have performances (especially concerts that don't lend themselves to rows of seating), but it's a completely different use for the space.
by Adam L on Dec 21, 2011 11:31 am • link • report
So what you're saying is that there's no guaranteed revenue stream, but hopefully people will rent it out.
There's probably a reason why no private developer got involved...
by concerned citizen on Dec 21, 2011 11:34 am • link • report
Well, Ellis Development group (a private developer) is leading the renovation efforts. I would imagine that they have a business plan for the space.
by Adam L on Dec 21, 2011 11:38 am • link • report
Where's the $30 Mil coming from?
by concerned citizen on Dec 21, 2011 11:41 am • link • report
$22 million was raised privately and $8 million from the DC government.
by Adam L on Dec 21, 2011 11:43 am • link • report
i wonder how much of that remaining 22 million came from sources that benefit from taxpayer money.
the issue is that i predict that this facility will be underutilized and a waste of money
by concerned citizen on Dec 21, 2011 11:47 am • link • report
The new facade being constructed for the building will be a facsimile of the building's original 1910 facade, also incorporating a few elements of the Art Deco facade that was installed in 1941, which remained in place until earlier this year. As far as I can tell, they're using the design and architecture of the 1910 facade, and the materials and color palette of the 1941 facade.
In effect, we've removed the architectural elements that defined the building for the majority of its existence, and are reverting to designs that were not present during the building's period of greatest historic relevance (supposedly the 1950s-1970s). Although I certainly don't question that the 1910 facade looks a heck of a lot nicer, I do question the fact that we're effectively whitewashing the building's architectural history in the name of historic preservation. When the renovation is complete, the facade will not resemble the original building from any single point in its history.
Furthermore, I'm not aware of any elements of the building's interior being preserved or reused (presumably because everything was already removed or damaged beyond repair). So, obviously, no preservation there.
Although I don't have any problem making minor cosmetic changes, or modifying the building's interior to be relevant and useful in the modern era, the extent and nature of the changes being made to the Howard make it very difficult for me to label the project as any sort of "preservation" or "restoration."
Once you remove the history aspect, and acknowledge that virtually no component of the original building will be remaining once the renovation is complete, the project no longer seems to have a whole lot going for it.
There are several performing arts and music spaces nearby, and many of them are struggling to attract audiences or produce enough revenue to cover the basic expenses of operating a theater. The Lincoln Theatre immediately comes to mind, and a cursory browsing of history seems to indicate that the Howard Theatre was never really financially successful, even in its heyday.
I'm really glad that they've opted for a flexible seating configuration, but damnit, the city's *only* other ~1000-person standing-room venue, and one of its only financially-successful music venues is just two blocks away. If there's one neighborhood that positively does not need another theater, it's U Street.
by andrew on Dec 21, 2011 11:48 am • link • report
by andrew on Dec 21, 2011 11:52 am • link • report
It may be unnecessary or a boondoggle, but it's wrong to suggest (as Alex did) that the $8 million could have gone to paying for school teachers (or any public services, for that matter). Money that comes from the capital budget comes from revenue sources (e.g., bonds and other dedicated income) that require the money be spent on actually building projects. Schools, libraries, rec centers, parks, transportation infrastructure, etc. are (or were) being built at breakneck speed, especially compared to other cities. As it is, I have a much bigger problem with the $54 million tax abatement for the proposed Adams Morgan hotel.
Andrew's points are much more valid, but I think (hope?) that at the end of the day that this project will enliven the neighborhood and give more people a reason to live, play (and therefore pay taxes) in DC.
by Adam L on Dec 21, 2011 11:56 am • link • report
In any event, parking at the Howard will be a real pain (not for me - my girlfriend lives nearby and we can walk). I suppose many don't care since we're pretending DC is Manhattan, but it will be an issue - and a possible dealbreaker - for people coming in from elsewhere - or are they not welcome?
by ceefer66 on Dec 21, 2011 11:58 am • link • report
There's a parking lot a little over a block away on 8th St next to Town. Street parking is also not terribly difficult east of 7th. Perhaps most relevant, it's a block from the Shaw metro.
by prognostication on Dec 21, 2011 12:07 pm • link • report
U Street could use both.
by Tom Coumaris on Dec 21, 2011 12:41 pm • link • report
by aaron4uva on Dec 21, 2011 2:30 pm • link • report
by Crickey7 on Dec 21, 2011 7:28 pm • link • report
by Bloomingdalefirst on Dec 22, 2011 1:53 am • link • report
by JM on Dec 22, 2011 6:25 am • link • report
by Marya on Dec 22, 2011 11:31 am • link • report
Except for a handful of history snobs, most people would be thrilled with a "renovation" that results in an attractive venue that enlivens the area and stretches the U Street corridor eastward while giving a nod to the Black Broadway era. Exact replication of early 19th century architecture is not an end in itself. Books and museums can play that role. Turning a burned out eyesore into a stately structure visible from Florida Avenue -- I can get excited about that.
by Ward 1 Guy on Dec 22, 2011 4:08 pm • link • report
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