Celtic Woman will be at the Hippodrome Performing Arts Center Baltimore, MD March 17th and 18th 2009 7:30 PM
The Hippodrome, once known as one of the nation's top vaudeville houses in the 1930s and '40s, has found new life as home to Broadway tours coming to Baltimore. In 2004, the remodeled France-Merrick Performing Arts Center reopened to accommodate larger theatrical tours that couldn't play the city's Mechanic Theatre. Architects combined the Hippodrome with other properties on the block so they could restore the theater and add the modern amenities and space it lacked. The opening season included "The Lion King" and "Phantom of the Opera." The $62 million project also was expected to play a role in improving Baltimore's west side. The project was a joint venture of the Hippodrome Foundation, Maryland Stadium Authority and Clear Channel Entertainment. In 1914, the Hippodrome opened as a vaudeville and movie house and hosted the likes of Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Red Skelton, Benny Goodman, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. It had a house orchestra, organ and piano to accompany the films. The Hippodrome closed in 1990, when it was the last movie theater downtown. Attendance at the new France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, which houses the 2,286-seat Hippodrome, has been around 350,000 a year. Its recent seasons have included "Avenue Q," "Hairspray" and "High School Musical."
baltimoresun.com
March 12, 2009
