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same time, the interior auditorium portion of the structure was completely renovated. All of the commercial space at street level was reclaimed for a grand, new lobby. The result was an extensively-new
Victoria Theatre (as it was now so renamed) designed expressly for the performing arts. The auditorium retained its original appearance with completely restored plaster work, drapery, marble work, gilding, and fresco detailing. Additionally, the house received state-of-the-art upgrading to its wiring, lighting, and sound systems and now accommodated infrared sound transmitters for headphone use.
380:(home of The Loft Theatre) for the benefit of the community and the arts organizations that use them. They also own and operate Starbucks at the Schuster and The Arts Garage. Dayton Live presents over 300 performances for all ages each year, including touring Broadway, stand-up comedy, concerts, films, and family shows, as well as educational programs. Independent not-for-profit arts organizations that call Dayton Live venues home include the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Dayton Dance Initiative, Dayton Performing Arts Association (Dayton Ballet, Dayton Opera, Dayton Philharmonic),
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Thus, after
Armistice, The Victoria saw extensive interior remodeling and in 1919 re-opened as "The Victory Theatre" – a name commemorating the American war effort and its result. For decades, the theater thrived as a major national embarkation point for traveling theater and stock companies. This included performances by Al Jolson, The Marx Brothers, Helen Hayes, Fannie Brice, George M. Cohan, Lynn Fontayne, Gertrude Lawrence, Alfred Lunt, Harry Houdini, and many other names.
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360:, under the operation of The Victoria Theatre Association, opened as another venue to house the Associations larger Broadway productions as well as large acts. The Dayton Philharmonic, the Dayton Opera, and the Dayton Ballet also rent the building for their performances. These two venues along with the
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By the late 1960s, Dayton's changing business patterns
Downtown and the proliferation of freeways and suburban shopping malls threatened the Victory Theater's existence, and in 1975 it was slated for demolition, in favor of a proposed parking lot. A public outcry for the theater's preservation that
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The 1989 the theatre was closed due to the extensive renovation. It involved razing the interior commercial space within the forward, Main Street-facing section of the building as well as the stage house, while carefully preserving and restoring the 1866–71 facade and the 1919 auditorium. At the
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The current theater accommodates 1,154, with 635 seats in the orchestra, and 519 in the balcony. The proscenium measures 37'7" wide by 29'0" high by 39'3" deep. A full-sized orchestra pit lies just below the stage lip. Ten dressing rooms, accommodating up to 18 people, are off-stage left, in the
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times, the tunnels allowed circus animals to be unloaded from railroad cars blocks away from the theatre, and held underground until showtime. As late as 1979, much of the tunnel network was accessible to employees, although some sections were blocked off by city steam pipes. The stage also bore
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of 1913 which severely damaged the Dayton region along with the ground floor of the theater. The theater's interior was rebuilt and remodeled. But on
January 16, 1918, fire struck again and gutted portions of the building. Reconstruction was delayed due to material shortages during World War I.
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In 1871, the edifice was re-opened – its rebuilding based, in part, on a portion of the surviving facade, although built to three stories instead of six. The opera house resumed operations as "The Music Hall". It in 1885 it became "The Grand Opera House". On
September 18, 1899, it became the
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During revitalization efforts in the late 1970s, the stage manager, Gary Kuzkin, overhauled much of the stage's technical capabilities. Crews from the
Stagehands Union (IATSE) local restored much of the theatre's ancient hemp-and-sandbag fly galley, replacing several hundred thousand feet of
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used the
Victory as a try-out venue for various productions before taking the material to the East Coast. A popular vintage film series drew patrons during the summertime and featured pipe organ house music and silent film accompaniment, thanks to the acquisition of an NCR-donated
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In 1930, the
Victory Theatre was outfitted for talking pictures, in its effort to continue as a full-service cinema house. In the 1950s and 1960s, it was the home of pictures from Walt Disney's company, as well as other studios' family fare.
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and, thus, it escaped demolition. However, portions of the building were in poor or fading condition. A group of young volunteers raised funds and did the early renovation work themselves to prevent demolition.
425:“They’re worried about fraud at the expense of giving the money back to the people that rightly deserve it,” Sutton said. “We have to let legislators know they have to do this and they have to do it quickly.”
364:, which is a renovated former department store building next to the Victoria Theatre, are able to hold a variety of performances of any size and is the heart of the performing arts district in Downtown Dayton.
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The
Victoria, one of the oldest continually operated theaters on the continent, was opened to the public as the Turner Opera House on New Year's Day, 1866, at a cost of $ 225,000. Its initial offering was the
402:"Dayton Live evokes the energy of live events while boldly declaring that our thriving downtown community is the region's home for the arts, culture, and entertainment," said Ty Sutton, president, and CEO.
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Company. A mainstay through the period was its screening of "Midnight Movies", offered by a local independent producer, on Friday and
Saturday nights that drew a, largely, teen audience for films with
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Arts Annex, and also includes Ticket Center Stage. Its tagline is "Bringing you the best theatre and event experiences in the Dayton Region, Your Home for Arts, Culture & Entertainment".
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donated $ 7 million to fund a downtown arts center, conditioning her donation on the requirement that the center include the Victory Theater and be located within the same one-block area.
376:) is the non-profit arts organization that owns and operates the Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, Victoria Theatre, the PNC Arts Annex (opened in 2018), and the
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Shuttered Venue Operator Grant, Sutton says on April 26, 2021, Dayton Live was finally able to submit its application, nearly four months after the legislation was passed.
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Arson was suspected of having caused an all-consuming fire May 16, 1869, which destroyed the theater at a loss of $ 500,000, of which insurance covered only $ 128,000.
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Back in the day, the theatre had a network of access tunnels stretching out beneath the city's streets for several blocks. It was said that, during
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shut down venues nationwide, Dayton Live managed to keep operations afloat while laying off hundreds of personnel. In 2021 while awaiting the
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As the pandemic has waned, operations have been building back up to full capacity with a full slate of entertainment offerings for 2022.
254:"Victoria Opera House", and in 1903, it became the Victoria Theatre, two years after the death of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
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Save the Victoria Theatre Association Records (SC-65). Wright State University Special Collections and Archives, Dayton, Ohio.
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But since then, venue owners are struggling to get the money partly due to rigorous fraud checks between the SBA and
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Victoria Theatre Collection (MS-360). Wright State University Special Collections and Archives, Dayton, Ohio.
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In 1978, the theatre was greatly benefited by the donation of a cache of equipment and stage draperies from
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All the while, it continued to be visited extensively by traveling theater companies. Choreographer
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Throughout the 1970s, the theater was operated as "The Victory Theater". It staged legitimate
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The Victoria Theatre Association and Ticket Center Stage unveiled its new name,
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Victory Theatre Records (SC-14). University of Dayton Archives, Dayton, Ohio.
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Dalton, Curt "When Dayton Went to the Movies" Dayton: Curt Dalton, 1999: 75
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to the Victory, which was renovated and installed by aficionados. In 1986,
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National Register of Historic Places in Montgomery County, Ohio
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and movies. The theatre was also home to the nationally known
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National Register of Historic Places listings in Dayton, Ohio
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Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio
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Damage again befell The Victoria during the catastrophic
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year helped to earn the building its listing in the
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Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center
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Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center
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318:rope—along with miles of electrical wiring.
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557:"Virginia Kettering a protector of Victory"
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269:A Victory Theatre Playbill Cover from 1919
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143:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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580:Victoria Theatre Collection (MS-021).
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469:National Register of Historic Places
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649:Victoria Theatre official website
555:Filips, Janet (August 17, 1986).
669:Event venues established in 1866
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245:"Turner's Opera House March"
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154:Architectural style
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28:Victoria Theatre in 2009
79:39.762181°N 84.192180°W
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231:James Sheridan Knowles
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84:39.762181; -84.192180
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368:Dayton Live
338:Twyla Tharp
239:, starring
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57:Coordinates
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633:August 29,
614:August 29,
595:August 29,
536:, 1996: 58
523:, 1996: 56
451:References
327:pipe organ
300:theatrical
293:footlights
288:Vaudeville
158:Italianate
122:1866-01-01
70:84°11′32″W
67:39°45′44″N
314:themes.
236:Virginius
434:See also
409:COVID-19
171:72001037
106:Capacity
302:shows,
224:History
189:Website
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38:Address
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115:Opened
44:Dayton
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343:Estey
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