Brady Theater
Encyclopedia
The Brady Theater is a theater and convention hall, in Tulsa
, Oklahoma
, United States
. It was originally completed in 1914 and remodeled in 1930 and 1952. The building was used as a detention center during the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot
.
. From 1914 to 1952, the building was known as Convention Hall. When the facility officially opened, it was billed as the largest hall between Kansas City and Houston, Texas
. Another source claims it was one of only 16 theaters in the U. S. equipped to host a full Metropolitan Opera
production.
According to a local legend, the building is haunted by the ghost
of Enrico Caruso, who performed there in 1920 and reportedly caught the cold that led to his death of pleurisy
in 1921.
Because of its size and proximity to Greenwood
the building was used temporarily to detain black men rounded up by the National Guard during the 1921 Race Riot.
was hired as designer of a major overhaul of the interior. He was given thirty days to plan the transformation of the barn-like space into an elegant showplace suitable for a city that was becoming known as "The Oil Capital of the World." The Art Deco
style remodeling included draperies and seats, vertical wall panels of white plaster decorated with thin gold dividers, gilded air conditioning grilles, and acoustic ceiling tiles painted green, blue, white, and gold. Five massive green and white pendant light fixtures were installed centrally in the auditorium.
. The building was supplanted in 1977 as the city's municipal auditorium by construction of the more modern Tulsa Performing Arts Center a few blocks southeast of the Brady's location. Renamed simply The Brady Theater, and affectionately known as "The Old Lady of Brady," it continues to operate as a venue for a wide variety of concerts and theatrical productions.
It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
on August 29, 1979. It was listed under National Register Criterion A and its NRIS number is 79002028.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was originally completed in 1914 and remodeled in 1930 and 1952. The building was used as a detention center during the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot
Tulsa Race Riot
The Tulsa race riot was a large-scale racially motivated conflict, May 31 - June 1st 1921, between the white and black communities of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in which the wealthiest African-American community in the United States, the Greenwood District also known as 'The Negro Wall St' was burned to the...
.
History
The Brady Theater has served Tulsa as a public assembly facility since its completion in 1914. Located at the corner of W. Brady Street and N. Boulder Avenue, it was built between 1912 and 1914 by The City of Tulsa upon the approval of a $125,000 bond issue. The theater was originally designed as a municipal auditorium and convention hall by the architectural firm of Rose and Peterson of Kansas City, KansasKansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
. From 1914 to 1952, the building was known as Convention Hall. When the facility officially opened, it was billed as the largest hall between Kansas City and Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. Another source claims it was one of only 16 theaters in the U. S. equipped to host a full Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
production.
According to a local legend, the building is haunted by the ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
of Enrico Caruso, who performed there in 1920 and reportedly caught the cold that led to his death of pleurisy
Pleurisy
Pleurisy is an inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs. Among other things, infections are the most common cause of pleurisy....
in 1921.
Because of its size and proximity to Greenwood
Greenwood, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Greenwood was a district in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As one of the most successful and wealthiest African American communities in the United States during the early 20th Century, it was popularly known as America's "Black Wall Street" until the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921...
the building was used temporarily to detain black men rounded up by the National Guard during the 1921 Race Riot.
Description
Located at 105 West Brady Street, the building is four stories tall, occupying an area of 130 feet by 160 feet. It was designed with a seating capacity for 4,200 people (including 1,300 in the balcony). The stage was 70 feet wide and 40 feet deep, and slopes 13 feet from back to front. According to the Tulsa Preservation Commission, the building also contained the only municipally owned pipe organ west of the Allegheny Mountains.1930 Renovation
In 1930, world-renowned architect Bruce GoffBruce Goff
Bruce Alonzo Goff was an American architect distinguished by his organic, eclectic, and often flamboyant designs for houses and other buildings in Oklahoma and elsewhere.-Early years:...
was hired as designer of a major overhaul of the interior. He was given thirty days to plan the transformation of the barn-like space into an elegant showplace suitable for a city that was becoming known as "The Oil Capital of the World." The Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style remodeling included draperies and seats, vertical wall panels of white plaster decorated with thin gold dividers, gilded air conditioning grilles, and acoustic ceiling tiles painted green, blue, white, and gold. Five massive green and white pendant light fixtures were installed centrally in the auditorium.
1952 Additions
In 1952, additions were constructed at the front and rear of the original structure. Upper and lower lobbies were added and the building was renamed Tulsa Municipal Theater. The architectural design at the time was referred to as Western Classic Revival. In 1978, The City of Tulsa sold the building by sealed bid to local entrepreneur, Peter Mayo, who has owned it since. In 1979, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational 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...
. The building was supplanted in 1977 as the city's municipal auditorium by construction of the more modern Tulsa Performing Arts Center a few blocks southeast of the Brady's location. Renamed simply The Brady Theater, and affectionately known as "The Old Lady of Brady," it continues to operate as a venue for a wide variety of concerts and theatrical productions.
It was listed in 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...
on August 29, 1979. It was listed under National Register Criterion A and its NRIS number is 79002028.