Biddeford's City Theater
Encyclopedia
Biddeford’s City Theater is a fully restored Victorian opera house
located in Biddeford
, Maine
, United States
. City Theater produces and hosts theater, dance and music performances year-round and aims to, “foster an appreciation for the performing arts by using creative avenues to increase community involvement.”
City Theater, designed by Maine architect John Calvin Stevens
in 1896, is included on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Architect John Calvin Stevens was chosen to design the new opera house, which opened January 20, 1896. The opera house again became a favorite site for cultural and entertainment attractions. Through to the 1920s it brought vaudeville
, minstrel shows, illustrated songs, dramatic performances and even community pageants and plays to the Southern Maine community.
The introduction of talkies in 1928 began the transition from opera house to movie theater. In 1955, “improvements” to its interior were made, including panelling of the lobby and its staircase and addition poster displays and a cinemascope
screen. The name of the opera house was at this time officially changed to Biddeford’s City Theater.
However, with the increased popularity of drive-ins and television, City Theater had closed its doors by 1963 and remained closed until 1978. In the interim, Biddeford’s City Theater was used as a storage facility for the city and, at one point, a horse-shoe pit, complete with a pile of sand dumped in the orchestra pit. Ironically, also during this period, in 1973 Biddeford’s City Theater was added to the National Register of Historical Places.
In 1977, the newly incorporated City Theater Associates launched a campaign to renovate and re-open the opera house. Thus, a year later, the internationally popular Norman Luboff Choir opened for Biddeford’s City Theater’s first performance season in nearly 50 years.
Though great improvements were made to its interior during the re-opening, City Theater was still in great need of restoration. It was not until the 1990s, when City Theater celebrated its centennial, that the theater received a full restoration. Funding was provided by local, state and federal governments along with private donations from local businesses and individuals. A new marquee, re-stenciling of the lobby and house walls and ceilings and new sound and lighting were among the improvements made.
City Theater currently runs a year-round season of theater, music and dance performances. Additionally, the theater has recently added community theater and youth opera and developed an ongoing relationship with the University of New England.
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
located in Biddeford
Biddeford, Maine
Biddeford is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is the largest town in the county, and is the sixth-largest in the state. It is the most southerly incorporated town in the state and the principal commercial center of York County. The population was 21,277 at the 2010 census...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. City Theater produces and hosts theater, dance and music performances year-round and aims to, “foster an appreciation for the performing arts by using creative avenues to increase community involvement.”
City Theater, designed by Maine architect John Calvin Stevens
John Calvin Stevens
John Calvin Stevens was an American architect who worked in two related styles — the Shingle Style, in which he was a major innovator, and the Colonial Revival style, which dominated national domestic architecture for the first half of the 20th century...
in 1896, is included on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
Biddeford’s City Theater originally opened as an opera house in October 1860 at its present Main Street location as a part of the Biddeford City Hall complex. The opera house enjoyed a high level of popularity in the Biddeford and Southern Maine region until burning down December 30, 1894. Whether to rebuild the opera house was debated, the city eventually settled on rebuilding a more structurally sound opera house.Architect John Calvin Stevens was chosen to design the new opera house, which opened January 20, 1896. The opera house again became a favorite site for cultural and entertainment attractions. Through to the 1920s it brought vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
, minstrel shows, illustrated songs, dramatic performances and even community pageants and plays to the Southern Maine community.
The introduction of talkies in 1928 began the transition from opera house to movie theater. In 1955, “improvements” to its interior were made, including panelling of the lobby and its staircase and addition poster displays and a cinemascope
CinemaScope
CinemaScope was an anamorphic lens series used for shooting wide screen movies from 1953 to 1967. Its creation in 1953, by the president of 20th Century-Fox, marked the beginning of the modern anamorphic format in both principal photography and movie projection.The anamorphic lenses theoretically...
screen. The name of the opera house was at this time officially changed to Biddeford’s City Theater.
However, with the increased popularity of drive-ins and television, City Theater had closed its doors by 1963 and remained closed until 1978. In the interim, Biddeford’s City Theater was used as a storage facility for the city and, at one point, a horse-shoe pit, complete with a pile of sand dumped in the orchestra pit. Ironically, also during this period, in 1973 Biddeford’s City Theater was added to the National Register of Historical Places.
In 1977, the newly incorporated City Theater Associates launched a campaign to renovate and re-open the opera house. Thus, a year later, the internationally popular Norman Luboff Choir opened for Biddeford’s City Theater’s first performance season in nearly 50 years.
Though great improvements were made to its interior during the re-opening, City Theater was still in great need of restoration. It was not until the 1990s, when City Theater celebrated its centennial, that the theater received a full restoration. Funding was provided by local, state and federal governments along with private donations from local businesses and individuals. A new marquee, re-stenciling of the lobby and house walls and ceilings and new sound and lighting were among the improvements made.
Present day
Current renovations to Biddeford’s City Theater include re-pointing the exterior brickwork and improving the stage floor and restrooms.City Theater currently runs a year-round season of theater, music and dance performances. Additionally, the theater has recently added community theater and youth opera and developed an ongoing relationship with the University of New England.
Further reading
- Biddeford History & Heritage Project
- Maine Memory Network
- Biddeford’s City Theater Website
- Biddeford’s City Theater on Facebook
- Video of Blood Brothers at Biddeford’s City Theater