Howard Theatre

oh I forgot to mention I recently saw Tangerine Dream in performance at the Howard – great show by the way, and what a beautiful restoration of the theater!

fond memories of living in the 900 block of T street in early sixties walking to Howard Theater to catch the matinee movie and stage show for $0.90, what a bargain.

Please DC get the Howard back open!

anyone see the article in last Sunday’s Washington Post the grand reopening is set for this upcoming April

My first vist to the Howard Theatre was in 1965 to see Pigmeat Markham and Moms Mabley with the Jewel Box Rev. The next time I was at the Howard was in 1968 as a trombonist playing with the late and great Billy Stewart. Bernard (Butch) White The Bethorns Section

On the otherhand right down the block they did a bang up job on restoring the Lincoln Theatre.
posted by East Coast Rocker

The Lincoln is SEVEN blocks west and on a different street entirely – at 1215 U Street NW next to that ridiculously overrated heartburn hut Chili Bowl – not “right down the block” from that miserably neglected Howard Theatre. Sure & we all make mistakes but I’d like to think a real true native of Washington – which from the way the winds of change are blowing we’re about to be “endangered” ourselves – wouldn’t misstate the geographic facts of the case so badly. I was last inside that old wreck 30 summers ago & the place was in such a dilapidated state, the air redolent of decay, that I feared for my health breathing that in. It’s nice that they scraped off every last vestige of that crappy “remodel” but there sure ain’t no Original Façade hidden beneath – and with only 4½ months until the alleged grand reopening, there had better be a lot of restoration/construction work going on offsite somewhere, because old gal’s outside looks like it’ll take a year alone yet to finish. But their given timetable is their own business; I just care about the second-to-last remaining piece of Black Broadway rising from the ashes of needless and outrageous neglect before god-only-knows what would happen, historic designation or not, and eventually another Barfbucks would vomit forth upon the cityscape.

I watched the Channel 50 doc over the weekend – and I was impressed with the planned renovation, question though: it’d seem though like the dinner theatre aspect could change depending on the show – like at the State Theatre in Arlington – half seating, and open floor nearer to the stage – right? And with a black tie event already planned for it’s August 2010 opening – wow, that’s kind of quick – I didn’t think the renovation was that far in it’s process. It’s great to see music venues beginning to preliforate in and around the DC area, with the Howard and Fillmore (in Silver Spring)opening in Summer 2011 (the planned ‘new’ date)

I am working on a documentary on the Howard Theater in Washington, DC, for WDCW Channel 50. It will air at the end of February 2010.

If you have pictures, movies, video or memories of the theater you would be willing to share, please email me at

Thanks!

link to the Howard Theatre restoration website:

http://www.howardtheatre.org/aboutus.html

Thanks Lost. I am going to look up the lincoln to see if there is anything about how much it cost to restore. Frome the artist rendering of Howard it looks like the main floor is going to be tables and chairs on a flat surce. Now I can see where a good deal of the cost will be..

BTW I saw this on the link. I guess the following was a typo. I think he meant begin.

Construction is expected to being next year

Thanks for the pics and updates. Hopefully they will make their 2010 Anniversary target date. They need to dry it in though, roof wise. 30 years is a long span of inactivity.
I’m waiting to read how Chicago’s Uptown Theatre roof has faired.

Interesting reading. The documents are dated 2006. So obviously the HTR group was able to meet the criteria as of then. There is no news newer than Feb. of 2008 on the HTR website. But the link is active and full of other great history and info.

I read that one of the proposal’s criteria was that 51 percent of the hires for the renovation, had to be D.C residents. Though a noble move on the District’s part, such a stipulation can end up being a double edged sword. In some cases preventing willing, qualified developers who happen to be based out of town, from ever embarking on such a monumental project. Should they not be able to hire subcontractors, even local, as they see fit. I would think the District would have been eager to entertain proposals from ANY reputable developers, as long as it meant the project would come to fruition sooner rather than later.

Not sure if the District of Columbia is a right-to-work state, or if labor unions dictate what contractors are be used, etc. Those elements are certainly factored in when developers make their proposals. Who one hires should be left to the developers though. With full consideration to hire as many locals as possible. But not mandated.