Rhode Center for the Arts
514 56th Street,
Kenosha,
WI
53140
514 56th Street,
Kenosha,
WI
53140
3 people
favorited this theater
Opened in 1927, the former Lake Theater, and later Gateway Theater is now home to the Lakeside Players, a community theater group.
Contributed by
Pete Christy
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Recent comments (view all 41 comments)
<img src=“http://thumb12.webshots.net/t/73/73/5/0/1/2981500010087069752qgYohO_th.jpg” alt=“1927 – Gateway Theatre”>This is the opening-week ad in the Kenosha Evening News:
URL=http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2981500010087069752qgYohO]
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Peter Rhode was my great-great-grandfather. I just want to say thank you to everyone who has such affection for the Rhode Opera House. I only saw it once, on a cross country family vacation trip, but I’m really happy to see that the Rhode is still going strong!
(Friday, June 18, 1926) One of the largest business deals in the history of modern Kenosha was completed Friday with the signing of a long term lease whereby the Kenosha Orpheum Theatre company takes over the present site of the old Rhode Opera House and the vacant lot in the rear of it for the erection of the new $500,000 Gateway Theatre.
A 3/10 Barton was installed in the theatre in 1927
Press Release from the Lakeside Players regarding an event that happened Thursday, June 15, 2011.
Today at 2:20PM, Justin Frieman, President of the Lakeside Players, Inc., entered the Steigerwaldt Auditorium of the Rhode Center for the Arts, 514 56th Street, and noticed gallons of water pouring onto the stage from the east side second floor. The Kenosha Fire Department was called. The water and power to the building have been turned off to prevent further damage. Emergency repair crews have been contacted and will be working the evening of June 15th. The scheduled “Rhode Big Clean” for Saturday, June 18th has not yet been canceled, as we may be able to occupy parts of the building by Saturday. Please consult our website http://rhodeopera.org for updates on this event. The Pollard Art Gallery will remain open during regular hours.
Update to this press release is the “Big Clean” has been postponed until later this summer due to “ a result of severe water damage that occurred at the historic theater on June 15th afternoon”.
Recovery is looking hopeful but it will take time.
Sorry I never followed this up. The theater has recovered from the water damage. The only casualty was the original stage lighting panel from 1927 got flooded and had to be disconnected and any power routed through it had to be rerouted.
FYI. I’ve added a few pages of interior photos of the Rhode Opera House in the Photos section. Thank You to the Rhode Staff for access to your beautiful theatre.
David! Great photos! I was there when you took those as we were getting ready for a concert that night. In fact, I was probably the one that let you up in the balcony to take some of those photos. Since then we have relamped the majority of the lights in the chandeliers with energy efficient bulbs making them brighter AND using less energy, the fans on the lobby ceiling were also cleaned.
Also, the website is now rhodecenter.org to reflect the name change from Rhode Opera House to Rhode Center for the Arts.
The marquee and attraction board are in need of relamping.
Stage Carpenter at the Rhode Opera House Suffers Injury.
Sept. 20, 1907 — Joseph Faulhaber, a stage carpenter, was injured at the Rhode opera house Thursday night when the big steel fire curtain fell with a crash at the close of the performance by the Grace Hayward company. Fortunately none of the stage people who had thronged the stage a minute earlier were caught under the falling curtain. Faulhaber was caught in the machinery in an effort to stop the fall of the curtain. The occurrence caused great excitement in the crowd which was leaving the theatre.