Opera House Theatre, Blackpool
Encyclopedia
The Opera House Theatre is a 2,920 capacity theatre in Blackpool
Lancashire
, England
. It is located within the Winter Gardens
, a large entertainment complex in the town centre and originally opened in 1889, although it has been rebuilt twice, in 1910 and 1939.
As part of the Winter Gardens, the theatre is a Grade II* Listed Building. It is operated by Crown Leisure Ltd, on behalf of Blackpool Council, who purchased the property from Leisure Parcs Ltd as part of a £40 million deal in 2010.
. The present theatre is the third one to have been built on the site.
The original building, completed in 1889, at a cost of £9,098 was designed by the prolific theatre architect Frank Matcham
, who also designed the nearby Grand Theatre
and the Tower Ballroom
. It had 2,500 seats, and was named Her Majesty’s Opera House. The first performance at the theatre was Gilbert and Sullivan
’s new Savoy opera
, The Yeomen of the Guard
on 10 June 1889.
The theatre was soon deemed too small and in November 1910 was closed for reconstruction. The new and larger building, by architects Mangnall and Littlewood, formally opened just nine months later. However, in 1938 the second Opera House was demolished and the present 3,000 seat theatre opened in 1939. It was designed in a modernist style with a sweepingly curved proscenium
. A Wurlitzer
organ was installed to the design of Horace Finch
and he and Reginald Dixon
played on the opening night. It was the last new Wurlitzer
organ to be installed in the UK and it is still in regular use today. The new Opera House was opened on 14 July 1939 by actress Jessie Matthews
and her husband, actor and director Sonnie Hale
. The first performance followed - the revue
Turned Out Nice Again, starring George Formby.
The first Royal Variety Performance
to be held outside London was staged at the Opera House on 13 April 1955. Compèred by Jack Hylton
and held in the presence of the HM The Queen
and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
. Performers included Arthur Askey
, Morecambe and Wise
, The Crazy Gang
, Reginald Dixon
at the Wurlitzer
organ, Joan Regan
, Alma Cogan
, George Formby, Beryl Grey, John Field
, Flanagan and Allen
and Charlie Cairoli
.
On 7 December 2009 the 81st Royal Variety Performance was again staged at the theatre in the presence of The Queen, and compèred by Peter Kay
. The performers included Lady Gaga
, Michael Bublé
, Alexandra Burke
, Diversity
, Hal Cruttenden, Miley Cyrus
, Whoopi Goldberg
, Adam Hills
, Bob Golding
as Eric Morecambe
, Les 7 Doights de la Main, Katherine Jenkins
, Jason Manford
, Pilobolus Dancers, Mika
, Bette Midler
, Andre Rieu
, Faryl Smith
, Paul Zerdin
- Also the Heavy Cavalry and Cambrai Band, the cast of Sister Act the Musical
, with Whoopi Goldberg
and the cast of Here Come the Girls
; Anastacia
, Lulu
and Chaka Khan
.
The Opera House Theatre hosts many theatrical performances in addition to variety shows and music concerts.
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located within the Winter Gardens
Winter Gardens, Blackpool
The Winter Gardens is a large entertainment complex in the town centre of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It has twelve different venues, including a theatre, ballroom and conference facilities. Opened in 1878, it is a Grade II* listed building, incorporating various elements built between 1875 and...
, a large entertainment complex in the town centre and originally opened in 1889, although it has been rebuilt twice, in 1910 and 1939.
As part of the Winter Gardens, the theatre is a Grade II* Listed Building. It is operated by Crown Leisure Ltd, on behalf of Blackpool Council, who purchased the property from Leisure Parcs Ltd as part of a £40 million deal in 2010.
History
The Opera House Theatre is one of the largest theatres in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The present theatre is the third one to have been built on the site.
The original building, completed in 1889, at a cost of £9,098 was designed by the prolific theatre architect Frank Matcham
Frank Matcham
Frank Matcham was a famous English theatrical architect. He is buried in Highgate Cemetery.-Early career:...
, who also designed the nearby Grand Theatre
Blackpool Grand Theatre
Blackpool Grand Theatre is a theatre in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. Since 2006, it has also been known as the National Theatre of Variety. It is a Grade II* Listed Building.-History:...
and the Tower Ballroom
Blackpool Tower
Blackpool Tower Eye is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire in England which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. . Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it rises to 518 feet & 9 inches . The tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers...
. It had 2,500 seats, and was named Her Majesty’s Opera House. The first performance at the theatre was Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
’s new Savoy opera
Savoy opera
The Savoy Operas denote a style of comic opera that developed in Victorian England in the late 19th century, with W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan as the original and most successful practitioners. The name is derived from the Savoy Theatre, which impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte built to house...
, The Yeomen of the Guard
The Yeomen of the Guard
The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid, is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888, and ran for 423 performances...
on 10 June 1889.
The theatre was soon deemed too small and in November 1910 was closed for reconstruction. The new and larger building, by architects Mangnall and Littlewood, formally opened just nine months later. However, in 1938 the second Opera House was demolished and the present 3,000 seat theatre opened in 1939. It was designed in a modernist style with a sweepingly curved proscenium
Proscenium
A proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch , which is located at or near the front of the stage...
. A Wurlitzer
Wurlitzer
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
organ was installed to the design of Horace Finch
Horace Finch
Horace Finch was an English pianist and organist.-Early life and education:Horace Finch began piano and organ studies in 1910 at the age of four. By 1915, he was organist at Clock Face Methodist Church, St. Helens. In 1919 he left St. Helens for Blackpool for health reasons.During 1920 he began...
and he and Reginald Dixon
Reginald Dixon
Reginald Dixon MBE, ARCM, was an English theatre organist. He was best known as resident organist at the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool, where he played the Wurlitzer organ from 1930 until his retirement in 1970.-Biography:...
played on the opening night. It was the last new Wurlitzer
Wurlitzer
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
organ to be installed in the UK and it is still in regular use today. The new Opera House was opened on 14 July 1939 by actress Jessie Matthews
Jessie Matthews
Jessie Matthews, OBE was an English actress, dancer and singer of the 1930s, whose career continued into the post-war period.-Early life:...
and her husband, actor and director Sonnie Hale
Sonnie Hale
Sonnie Hale was an English theatre and cinema actor and director.John Robert Hale-Monro was born in London, the son of Robert Hale and Belle Reynolds. His father and sister, Binnie Hale were actors. He worked chiefly in musical and revue theatre, but also acted in several films with occasional...
. The first performance followed - the revue
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
Turned Out Nice Again, starring George Formby.
The first Royal Variety Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
to be held outside London was staged at the Opera House on 13 April 1955. Compèred by Jack Hylton
Jack Hylton
Jack Hylton was a British band leader and impresario.He was born John Greenhalgh Hilton in the Great Lever area of Bolton, Lancashire, the son of George Hilton, a cotton yarn twister. His father was an amateur singer at the local Labour Club and Jack learned piano to accompany him on the stage...
and held in the presence of the HM The Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
. Performers included Arthur Askey
Arthur Askey
Arthur Bowden Askey CBE was a prominent English comedian.- Life and career :Askey was born at 29 Moses Street, Liverpool, the eldest child and only son of Samuel Askey , secretary of the firm Sugar Products of Liverpool, and his wife, Betsy Bowden , of Knutsford, Cheshire...
, Morecambe and Wise
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
, The Crazy Gang
The Crazy Gang
The Crazy Gang were a group of British entertainers, formed in the early 1930s. In the mature form the group's six men were Bud Flanagan, Chesney Allen, Jimmy Nervo, Teddy Knox, Charlie Naughton and Jimmy Gold...
, Reginald Dixon
Reginald Dixon
Reginald Dixon MBE, ARCM, was an English theatre organist. He was best known as resident organist at the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool, where he played the Wurlitzer organ from 1930 until his retirement in 1970.-Biography:...
at the Wurlitzer
Wurlitzer
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
organ, Joan Regan
Joan Regan
Joan Regan is a traditional pop music singer from the UK, popular during the 1950s and early 1960s.-Biography:...
, Alma Cogan
Alma Cogan
Alma Cogan was an English singer of traditional pop music in the 1950s and early 1960s. Dubbed "The Girl With the Laugh/Giggle/Chuckle In Her Voice", she was the highest paid British female entertainer of her era...
, George Formby, Beryl Grey, John Field
John Field (dancer)
John Field was an English ballet dancer, choreographer, director and teacher. He was a renowned member of the Vic-Wells Ballet and Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet and was also Artistic Director of the La Scala Theatre Ballet.- Biography :Born John Greenfield in Doncaster, South Yorkshire in 1921,...
, Flanagan and Allen
Flanagan and Allen
Flanagan and Allen were a British singing and comedy double act popular during World War II. Its members were Bud Flanagan and Chesney Allen...
and Charlie Cairoli
Charlie Cairoli
Charlie Cairoli was an Italian-born English clown, impressionist and musician.-Background and career:Born in Milan, Italy to a travelling circus family of French origin, he began his performing career at the age of seven...
.
On 7 December 2009 the 81st Royal Variety Performance was again staged at the theatre in the presence of The Queen, and compèred by Peter Kay
Peter Kay
Peter John Kay is an English comedian, writer, actor, director and producer. His work includes That Peter Kay Thing , Phoenix Nights , Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere , Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and other independent productions which have included two sell out tours.-Early career:Peter Kay...
. The performers included Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
, Michael Bublé
Michael Bublé
Michael Steven Bublé is a Canadian singer. He has won several awards, including three Grammy Awards and multiple Juno Awards. His first album reached the top ten in Canada and the UK. He found worldwide commercial success with his 2005 album It's Time, and his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible was...
, Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke is a British R&B and pop recording artist who rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor in 2008...
, Diversity
Diversity (dance troupe)
Diversity are an English street dance troupe based in London. They are best known for winning the third series of Britain's Got Talent, famously beating Susan Boyle in the live final. They also won the Families United Positive Role Models at the Spirit of London Awards. The group, initially known...
, Hal Cruttenden, Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
, Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
, Adam Hills
Adam Hills
Adam Hills is an Australian comedian and television presenter. He has appeared on Australian and British television and is best known for his role hosting the Australian ABC music trivia show Spicks and Specks...
, Bob Golding
Bob Golding
Robert John "Bob" Golding is an English voice actor.Golding is a comic actor who has worked on stage and television, probably best known for being the voice of Milo and Max in the Tweenies.-Television:...
as Eric Morecambe
Eric Morecambe
John Eric Bartholomew OBE , known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an English comedian who together with Ernie Wise formed the award-winning double act Morecambe and Wise. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death of a heart attack in 1984...
, Les 7 Doights de la Main, Katherine Jenkins
Katherine Jenkins
Katherine Jenkins is a Welsh mezzo-soprano. She is a classical-popular crossover singer who performs across a spectrum of operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre and hymns.-Early life and education:...
, Jason Manford
Jason Manford
Jason John Manford is an English comedian, television presenter and actor.- Early life :Manford was born to an Irish family in Salford, Greater Manchester, a son of Sharon , who is a Catholic and Ian Manford. He grew up in poverty in a terraced house in Manchester...
, Pilobolus Dancers, Mika
Mika (singer)
Mika is a British singer-songwriter.After recording his first extended play, Dodgy Holiday EP, Mika released his first full-length studio album, Life in Cartoon Motion, on Island Records in 2007. Life in Cartoon Motion sold more than 5.6 million copies worldwide and helped Mika win a Brit...
, Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
, Andre Rieu
André Rieu
André Léon Marie Nicolas Rieu is a Dutch violinist, conductor, and composer best known for creating the waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra.- Early life and studies :...
, Faryl Smith
Faryl Smith
Faryl Smith is a British teen mezzo-soprano who rose to fame after auditioning for the second series of the ITV television talent show Britain's Got Talent in 2008. She received praise throughout the competition, and although she was the favourite to win after the second round, she finished...
, Paul Zerdin
Paul Zerdin
Paul Zerdin is an English comedian/ventriloquist. That Paul should choose a career in the entertainment industry is not entirely unexpected as both his parents attended drama school and his mother went on to become a BBC Radio 2 presenter and his father a producer for the BBC World Service.When...
- Also the Heavy Cavalry and Cambrai Band, the cast of Sister Act the Musical
Sister Act the Musical
Sister Act is a musical written by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner with additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane, with lyrics by Glenn Slater and music by Alan Menken. It is based on the hit 1992 film comedy of the same name...
, with Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
and the cast of Here Come the Girls
Here Come the Girls Tour
Here Come the Girls is a co-headling concert tour by American recording artists Anastacia and Chaka Khan and Scottish recording artist Lulu. The tour, primarily reaching Europe, began in November 2009. Described as a music extravaganza that mixes high octane, high camp, get up and dance songs,...
; Anastacia
Anastacia
Anastacia is an American singer-songwriter. Anastacia has been highly successful in Europe, Asia, South Africa and South America, but has had only minor success in her native United States...
, Lulu
Lulu (singer)
Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
and Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
.
The Opera House Theatre hosts many theatrical performances in addition to variety shows and music concerts.