Lyric Theatre

The Crystal Theatre opened on January 15, 1906 with Marion-based John H. Ammons' Vaudeville Cricuit troupe at 114 S. Main Street. It was an O&O situation for Ammons as he owned this and at least 7 other vaudeville houses in Ohio and Indiana mostly under the Crystal nameplate. The first Crystal was opened in 1903 in Marion and expanded to Anderson, Kokomo, Logansport, Frankfort, Elkhart, Toledo and here in Elkhart. This location was considered to be the first full-time vaudeville house in Elkhart’s history.

The Crystal Theatre had an open air lobby passing into an existing storefront. A gramophone blasted music in the lobby while live music for the vaudeville show’s interlude was plunked on what was described as a very battered piano. The first two managers had acts perform teaser routines on the streets around downtown as performative ballyhoo. That was pretty much the extent of promotional efforts aside from newspaper advertisements. First manager Jack Bentham’s wife proved to be a valuable and liked regular filler act but Bentham had to retire due to losing his sight.

Five shows of vaudville took place daily with a five unit show. Nora Bayes was said to be the most popular recurrent performer at the short-lived house. Despite many packed houses under second manager George W. Lawrie, the audience proved fickle for the shows. Aamons, now doing business as the Ammons-Dubois Vaudeville Circuit, closed the Crystal Theatre and three other locations very abruptly following the February 16, 1908 shows.

Patrick Clifford and T.M. Moss became the second owner of the venue opening on March 16, 1908 but closing in short order. Bijou Amusement of Battle Creek took on the venue on August 7, 1908 as the Dream Theatre. It appears to have ceased operations in December of 1908.

Fourth owner George Davis took on the vaudeville house in 1909 reverting to the Crystal Theatre moniker. The programming now mixed in a liberal amount of motion pictures as Elkhartan nickels were heading in that direction. A fifth operator retained the Crystal’s vaudeville roots but with a paltry two acts daily in its reboot as the Lyric Theatre on September 2, 1910.

The last showtimes for the Lyric Theatre appear to be October 26, 1911. Costs for vaudeville and movies was a nickel at all times by late-1911. Quality had to be questionable as the venue closed with little buzz. All other events and performances from that point forward were staged in the upstairs space known as the Elmer Post Hall. The Crescent Pocket Billiard hall took over the space beginning on April 28, 1912.

One of the longer running tenants, the White House Cafe opening in 1943 and closing in 1959, brought back performances as live music accompanied meals there. But the building housing the former theater was sold in 1973 for around $160k and - apparently - razed shortly thereafter.

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