Wilminton’s Grand Opera House Hits High Note
Published Apr 16, 2006
The 1,186-seat Grand Opera House is home to five performing arts groups.
With the 1871 opening of the majestic Grand Opera House, the stage was set for the vibrant arts scene that exists today in Wilmington and New Castle County.
Support from city officials and cooperation among various arts organizations help keep the momentum that began in the 19th century going strong in the 21st.
“Mayor (James) Baker understands the importance of the arts in a city that is on the move,” says Tina Betz, director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. “Having the arts as part of people’s lives just helps make them better people. The mayor recognizes that, too.”
Baker, who was on the city council and served as council president before being elected mayor, has always been a strong advocate of the arts, Betz says. He was a councilman when the city established Cityfest in 1980 as a 501(c)(3) organization to receive sponsorship funds and grants for a showcase of city-supported events including Theatre N, Wilmington Independent Film Festival, Art on the Town, Riverfront Blues Festival, Clifford Brown Jazz Festival and a documentary film festival.
“I think we’re finding there is a network of people involved with different arts organizations who have begun to see the value of working together,” Betz says.
“It’s important for us to be united around the fact that everything we do is important to the city.”
The Delaware Symphony Orchestra, Opera Delaware, First State Ballet, Contemporary Stage Company and City Theater Company all operate from the 1,186-seat Grand Opera House. They were brought under the same roof following an extensive building project in 2000 that restored the Grand to its former luster and added the 300-seat Baby Grand theater, a music school, dance school, rehearsal area and studio space.
Between 1995 and 2006, the Grand doubled its programming and boosted subscriber numbers from 564 to more than 4,000.
Story by Anne Gillem
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