Grand Opera House History - In the Beginning

In the Beginning: click here for photos

The concept of the Grand Opera House began in 1882 with a few local businessmen who were unsatisfied with Oshkosh's existing performance theater, which had a flat floor, poor acoustics and hard wooden seats. At that time, Oshkosh was the second largest city in Wisconsin and residents wished for the types of shows that graced stages in cities like Chicago and New York.

Local architect William Waters was chosen to design the new opera house. Waters, who designed over 100 buildings in Oshkosh (including the public library and museum), also designed opera houses, schools, courthouses, churches, businesses and residences throughout the state of Wisconsin.

The new Grand Opera House opened its doors on August 9, 1883 with a production of "The Bohemian Girl" by the C. D. Hess Opera Company. Theatergoers experienced lavish and modern Victorian design, from the hand-painted drop curtain to the elaborately detailed wall and ceiling artistry of local artist J. Frank Waldo. Roman influences, evident in the huge curved ceiling beams and columns rising up on either side of the proscenium, combined with the Queen Anne style in the auditorium, reflected the opulence of the era. Although the official capacity of the new theater was 921, additional chairs could comfortably accommodate crowds of more than 1,000 people. "Jump seats," which folded out from the walls and from the ends of the seats, brought the total possible seating capacity to 1,224. (Jump seats were outlawed as a fire hazard in 1918.)

The new theater attracted acts from around the country, from Grand Opera to Broadway Musicals and, in the '20s, Vaudeville. The unique acoustic quality of the hall, said to rival that of the huge Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, brought considerable fame to Oshkosh. Vincent Price, Harry Blackstone, Hal Holbrook and Celeste Holm were among the performers who remarked on the theater's superior acoustics. Other Grand Opera House celebrities included Samuel Clemens (as Mark Twain), John Phillip Sousa, Harry Houdini, Sarah Bernhardt, Maude Adams and President William Howard Taft. Throughout its history, The Grand has also been the home for many local theater groups and musicians.

Electric lighting replaced the gas jets in 1885, and 1891 saw the completion of the Athearn Hotel just across the street from The Grand. Also designed by William Waters, the four-story, Romanesque-style hotel hosted many of the performers who graced The Grand's stage.

In the early 1900s, a fire exit was added and a large marquee was put in above the main entrance of the opera house, along with an electric sign. Later, in the late 1920s, the theater was closed for several months for remodeling and redecorating. Improvements included modern heating and ventilation, lighting and plumbing systems. The Granada (as it was known at the time) was sold in 1948 and the newly named Civic Theater reopened as a motion picture house, presenting second-run movies and occasional community events. Gone were the impressive main entrance and front balcony where bands once played for arriving guests.

In 1950 the building was renamed the Grand Theater and more interior and exterior changes were made. In order to achieve the appearance of a modern movie theater, the building's entrance was moved from the center of the façade to the corner and nearly eight feet of the stage apron was removed to make room for additional seats.

In 1965, the once impressive Athearn Hotel was razed. Citizens who desired to retain the rich remnants of Oshkosh's glorious past banded together to ensure that the same future would not befall the Athearn's neighbor and past cultural connection, the once opulent Grand Opera House.

The ensuing fight to save The Grand lasted more than 20 years and faced numerous financial, civic and organizational obstacles. Nevertheless, concerned groups and individuals resolved differences, raised funds and passed the torch to future caring hands.

Continued in The Restoration