Metropolitan Opera House
858 N. Broad Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19130
858 N. Broad Street,
Philadelphia,
PA
19130
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What may have been the first instance of the Metropolitan Opera House being used for movies was noted in this item from the “Philadelphia Pointers” column of Moving Picture World for April 3, 1920:
Mary Pickford was 27 years old when she portrayed Eleanor H. Porter’s 12 year old heroine. “Pollyanna” was Pickford’s first film for her recently established United Artists studio. A blockbuster for its time, the film had a budget of $300,000 and grossed $1.1 million worldwide in its initial theatrical run. Now in the public domain, at least in the US, multiple copies have been uploaded to YouTube where it can be watched at no charge.The renovated theatre looks beautiful!
Good photo of the auditorium from stage at the official website (scroll down for the photo): https://themetphilly.com/info/
Some nice photos in very late stages of renovation at curbed.com:
https://philly.curbed.com/2018/12/4/18125587/met-philly-reopens-new-look-art-deco-style
Their official website: https://themetphilly.com/
The theatre also was equipped with an M.P. Moller four manual, 39-rank theatre organ, built in 1928, opus #5315. It was the second largest Moller theatre organ ever built, behind the Atlanta Fox Moller (4m/42r) that was built in 1929, opus #5566. Sadly, the Met organ was to be donated to an institution in the western United States, but was destroyed by fire. Gladly, the Atlanta organ still lives on and is currently having its console rebuilt, with a “temporary” console standing in.
The website for this theatre is www.themetphilly.com In the March issue of Opera News Magazine there is an ad for a concert here next month.
Inga Saffron story with twelve new and old photos.
Reopening December 3 with Bob Dylan. It’s been a long time comin'…
Renovation to continue, December 2018 target opening date as music venue.
https://philly.curbed.com/2018/1/26/16935824/philadelphia-metropolitan-opera-house-live-nation-blumenfeld
Signage proposals for the renovation: They’re going for a 1930s look.
you don’t realize how big this place is until you see it without the tarp that seperates the ground floor .
The Met was damaged by two serious fires in the post-WWII years. On February 5, 1948, flames caused $165,000 in damage to the balconies. This was followed by a four-alarm fire on April 11, 1950, that rose from the base of the stage to the roof and caused an estimated $200,000 in damages. (From Billboard, April 22, 1950, p.25.)
I recently photographed the Metropolitan Opera House. Check out some photos here
“You can’t walk through the Metropolitan Opera House without hearing the walls telling stories. Once you get sucked into that vacuum, there is no turning back. You can’t be for tearing that down. You have to be for how do we recreate it?” Eric Blumenfeld in a Hidden City Philadelphia story on “accidental preservationists.” Includes a recent interior picture of the Met, but it’s not very different from one that’s already here.
Developer Eric Blumenfeld joins with owner to try to get restoration off the ground. Philadelphia Inquirer story here.
There are two photos on this page:
http://tinyurl.com/22pucr
TO-RICHARD!
PLEASE EMAIL ME, AT: “ "
I’D LIKE TO TALK WITH YOU!
SEE MY POSTING ABOVE.
THANKS-
REV. BUFORD DOWELL
“ IN CHRIST … IS LIFE”
My dad was a Voice of Healing Evangelist and I spent a part of my childhood roaming the cooridors of this great building when I wasn’t in church. We often stayed in the apartment on the top floor of the MET. A night I would sit in the upper balcony looking over the vaste auditorium. Mahalia Jackson sang for my dad’s meeting and we met other men who shared their ministry in the city.
Though it was built for theatrical and operatic performance, It was a place where many people came broken and lonely and found an exciting spirited worship service, with a challenging message of Christ’s love for the fallen and broken. A lot of good came out of those services. Personally, I saw the power of God demonstrated, for others it was a new spiritual beginning. One Baptist Deacon, Dr. Benjamin Smith came one night and felt called to start a church in North Philly, It became The Deliverance Evagelistic Church starting with 62 people growing to more than 5,000. My dad helped start that church as well. Thanks for putting this info out there. Blessings,
RichardSA
The Met is planning to celebrate its restoration with a kick-off festival on September 23, 2006 on Broad Street at the theater. It should be a great party; come if you are in the neighborhood!
A recent Philadelphia Inquirer story here and a picture slideshow here.
The actual commitment from the state as of 7/13/06 (press conference held on site with state representatives) is $1m. We are also expecting an additional $500,000 per a 7/11 meeting with another state official. It will probably take approximately one year for the grants to be processed. We Will keep you posted. Thank you so much for your interest and support.
GwenW.
Project Coordinator
MY MEMORIES OF THE MET!
IN ABOUT 1955, EVANGELIST JACK COE, CAME FROM DALLAS, TEXAS AND HELD A LARGE CITY WIDE HEALING REVIVAL AT THE MET.
THE POWER OF GOD WAS SO UNIQUE, THAT THOUSANDS WERE SAVED AND HEALED IN THE 2 SERVICES DAILY! OFTEN, THE
CROWDS WOULD GEATHER FOR THE NIGHT SERVICE, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY… AND THE FIRE DEPT WOULD SHUT THE DOORS,
AS THE BUILDING WAS ALREADY FULL TO CAPACITY!
DURING THAT REVIVAL, I WAS 14 YRS. OF AGE AND ATTENDING BRO. COE’S CHRISTIAN SCHOOL IN DALLAS. HE HAD PRAIED OVER MY HANDS, TO PLAY HEALING MUSIC TO THE NATIONS, WHEN I WAS 13! GOD GAVE ME A MIRACLE AND IN 4 WEEKS, I WAS PLAYING FOR
HIS CHURCH. LATER (ASSSITING HIS CRUSADE ORGANIST JIMMY ARNOLD) UNDER THE BIG TENT IN WASH. DC, WHERE THE CROWDS
GREW TO OVER 20,000 PEOPLE!
AS HE WAS FINISHING HIS CRUSADE AT THE MET, HE CALLED MY FATHER (EVANG. BUFORD DOWELL SR)WHO WAS THEN PREACHING
IN HIS 12TH WEEK OF REVIVAL IN DALLAS, AND ASK HIM TO COME TO PHILA AND TAKE OVER THE MET, AND CONTINUE THE REVIVAL
THERE!
MY FATHER PRAYED ABOUT IT AND FELT IT WAS NOT GODS WILL FOR HIM TO PASTOR IN PHILA.
REV. COE THEN INVITED DR. THEA JONES TO COME TO THE MET AND HE WAS THE DIRECTOR AND PASTOR, PRIOR TO THE PRESENT
MINISTY THERE!
LATER IN ABOUT 59, I CAME TO THE MET AS THE CHURCH ORGANIST FOR DR. JONES AND ALSO FOR HIS NEW YORK CHURCH.
THOSE WE’RE MIGHTY DAYS OF REVIVAL AND MANY WE’RE HEALED BY THE POWER OF GOD.
ONE OF MY BEST JOYS, WAS WHEN THE MET WOULD HAVE GOSPEL SINGING CONCERTS ON SAT. NIGHT!
MY APT, WAS OFF THE STAGE AND I THEN MET AND WAS ASKED TO PLAY THE ORGAN FOR CLARA WARD, THE CARAVANS, SAM COOK
AND THE SOUL STIRRERS, AND SEVERAL OTHERS.
I WAS THE ONLY WHITE BOY THEIR, BUT MY LORD .. DID WE HAVE A GOOD TIME!
IT HELPED SHAPED MY OWN MUSIC STYLE, TO PLAY “HOLY GHOST, CAMPMEET'N, REVIVAL STYLE MUSIC!
OVER 35 YRS, I HAVE TRAVELED 54 NATIONS (OVER 4,000,000 MILES) WITH JACK COE, WILLIAM BRANHAM, A A ALLEN, R W SHAMBACH, MORRIS CERULLO, JOHN H. OSTEEN, AND MOST OF THE FAMOUS HEALING MINISTRIES…. IN THE WORLDS LARGEST GIANT TENT
CRUSADES IN AMERICA!
GOD HAS BLESSED US TO CONDUCT SOME 119 INTERNATIONAL MISSIONARY CRUSADES AND LEED MULTITUDES TO CHRIST!
PHILIDELPHIA… GET READY! GOD SAVES THE BEST WINE FOR THE LAST…AND A MIGHTY HOLY GHOST OUT POURING IS GOING TO FALL
ON PHILIDELIPHA, LIKE RAIN OUT OF HEAVEN!
GOD WILL SHAKE YOUR CITY (AND MANY OTHERS) WITH HIS MIGHTY END TIME VISITATION …. UNTIL PEOPLE MOVE TO PHILY, BECAUSE
OF THE POWER OF GOD THERE!!
HE WANTS TO USE YOU! HE HAS A DESTINY FOR YOUR LIFE, WILL YOU LET HIM TAKE OVER CONTROLL??
DO IT… IN CHRIST NAME!!!
IN “HIM”–
BUFORD DOWELL /DIR
EAGLE INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION,
WWW.EI-TENTS.COM
PH: 214-282-8194.
“ IN CHRIST… IS LIFE! ”
Contrary to reports the building is being renovated! Since 1998 a former member of the Met congregation who has since become a minister acquired the building. It is currently being used as a worship center-Holy Ghose Headquarters Revival Center at the Met under the leadership of Rev. Mark Hatcher who grew up in the previous church-The Met-under Dr. Thea Jones.
The congregation established a nonprofit development corporation and has been completing renovations-basic systems, stabilization and renovations-since 1998 at approximately $4.5 million without public sector or private foundation support!
The City of Philadelphia has recently made a financial commitment (its first) to support re-establishing 4 retail operations as had previously existed on the Broad Street side of the building. These will help to produce income for the renovations and maintenance of the building. One of the spaces-a fifth- will be designated as a historic exhibit center chronicling the building’s history as an Opera House, theatre and worship center. Tours will be available through the historic center when completed (approximately November 2007). Tours are currently available by appointment-215-431-6148.
websites-
http://www.holyghostheadquarters.org
http://www.npcdcatthemet.org
I see the building in its present state and think how sad to allow such a once grand edifice to die a slow tortuous death. I’ve been in the building just once in my life and have been moved by what it could be, but also saddened by what appears to be its only fate, that of an eventual destruction due to its location in the heart of the black urban community, as well as there being no real desire to keep it alive.
It’s a throw back to a time where people in the community cannot have an appreciation for it. I long to just see photos of it in its hey day. I’m certain it must have been a thing to behold.
Still in use as a church; they say the building has been stabilized, though not restored. Website here:
http://www.holyghostheadquarters.org/aboutHGH.htm
The address of the Metropolitan Opera House is 858 North Broad Street. The theatre is included in the National Register of Historic Places.
Apparently, the theatre continued to present some stage productions even after being converted to show movies, as I found a reference to this being the location of the American stage premier of Stravinsky’s opera “Oedipus Rex” which opened at the Metropolitan on April 10th, 1931.
The architect to whom this entry attributes the Metropolitan, John B. McElfatrick, died in 1906. Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts web site attributes this theatre to his son, William H. McElfatrick.
The Philadelphia Architects and Buildings web site has an interesting biography of John McElfatrick, and also one of William McElfatrick which includes a page of his projects, with the Metropolitan being the first listed. The firm of J.B. McElfatrick & Son was apparently engaged by Oscar Hammerstein to draw the plans for this theatre in 1907, after J.B. McElfatrick died.