Sarasota, Florida, U.S.A

Sarasota Opera House

Edwards Theatre

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Renovations to the exterior and interior in 2007/08 resulted in major modifications, but the exterior was not fully finished as of late March 2008

The Sarasota Opera House (originally the Edwards Theatre) is an historic theater, now opera house, located at 61 North Pineapple Avenue in Sarasota, Florida. The vision of a local man, A. B. Edwards, it originally opened on April 10, 1926 with an elaborate three-story entrance containing shops and apartments, while the theater's auditorium contained an orchestral pipe organ. The building was designed by Roy A. Benjamin and constructed by the GA Miller Construction Company.

The theater is the home of the Sarasota Opera which ownes the building. It seats 1,119.

Early history

In the 1920s, it quickly became a popular entertainment venue with major performers of the day, such as Will Rogers (in 1927) and the Ziegfeld Follies (1928), and Elvis Presley (1956), appearing there. Also, it became a movie theater when it presented the world premiere of Cecil B. DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth (which had been filmed in Sarasota) attended by its stars Charlton Heston and Dorothy Lamour.

Over the years, managements changed as did the name of the theater: in December 1936 it became "The Florida Theater" while, in the same year, a hurricane damaged the Robert-Morton pipe organ. Various attempts to modernize removed most of its original Art Deco. It became a full-time movie theater, but, finally, in 1973, it closed.

Renovations, 1979

However, opera was beginning to be presented in Sarasota by a non-profit organization, the Asolo Opera Guild, which presented small-scale operas from out of town in the 320-seat Asolo Theater. By 1974, they had begun to produce their own operas. In 1979, the Guild bought the old Edwards Theater for $150,000. Needing major renovations to restore the house and to accommodate the demands of opera, the Association began renovations in 1982, the result of which was that the new Sarasota Opera House appeared on the National Register of Historic Places in March, 1984.

Renovations, 2007-8

Original 3-story theatre atrium is revealed after renovations in 2007/08

Further renovations between the end of the 2007 season and the 1 March 2008 opening of the 2008 season have led to a significantly-enhanced opera theater.

The $20 million renovations included gutting the auditorium, which resulted in a newly configured seating plan, expansion of the public areas and Opera Club on the second level, the opening up of the 3-story atrium to expose a newly installed skylight system which had existed in the 1926 building, but which had been covered by a ceiling and a chandelier used in the film, Gone with the Wind. In 2008, the Sarasota Opera reopened with Verdi's Rigoletto. Seating was expanded to approximately 1,200. After the 2009-2010 season, some seats along the far sides were taken out and replaced with aisles on either end of the theater leaving 1,119 seats.

 

Directions from the Hyatt Regency Sarasota to the Sarasota Opera House

1.Start out going east on Boulevard of the Arts toward Van Wezel Way.

 

0.2 mi2.Take the 3rd right onto N Tamiami Trl/US-41.

• N Tamiami Trl is just past El Vernona Ave
• Hotel Indigo SARASOTA is on the corner

0.2 mi3.Turn left onto 2nd St.

• 2nd St is just past Fruitville Rd
• Flowers and Balloons Above Sarasota is on the left

0.1 mi4.Turn slight right onto N Pineapple Ave.

• Tommy Meyer, Attorney at Law is on the left

0.1 mi5.61 N PINEAPPLE AVE is on the right.