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| Former names | Stanley Theatre(1928−1987) |
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| Address | 237 7th Street Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Owner | Pittsburgh Cultural Trust |
| Type | Movie palace |
| Capacity | 2,800 |
| Screens | 1 |
| Current use | Performing arts center |
| Construction | |
| Opened | February 27, 1927 |
| Reopened | September 25, 1987 |
| Architect | Hoffman−Henon |
| Tenants | |
| Pittsburgh Opera,Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre,Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera | |
| Website | |
| culturaldistrict | |
Stanley Theater and Clark Building | |
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| Coordinates | 40°26′34″N79°59′59″W / 40.44278°N 79.99972°W /40.44278; -79.99972 |
| Area | Pittsburgh Cultural District |
| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | Hoffman and Henon |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals |
| NRHP reference No. | 86000303[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | February 27, 1986 |
| Designated CPHS | November 20, 1984[2] |
| Designated PHLF | 1976[3] |
TheBenedum Center for the Performing Arts (formerly theStanley Theatre) is atheater andconcert hall located at 237 7th Street in theCultural District ofPittsburgh,Pennsylvania. Designed by the Philadelphia architectural firmHoffman-Henon, it was built in 1928 as the Stanley Theatre. The formermovie palace was renovated and reopened as the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts in 1987.[4]
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The Stanley Theatre, built at a cost of $3 million, opened as a deluxemovie palace February 27, 1928, with seating for 3,800 people (it now seats 2,885). It was designed by the architectural firm Hoffman−Henon who were best known for their design of 35 theaters in thePhiladelphia area. The Stanley Theatre was the largest movie theater inWestern Pennsylvania. Operated by the Stanley Warner Theatres circuit division ofWarner Bros., it was Pittsburgh's main first run house for all Warner Bros. film releases.
Frank Sinatra played here December 10, 1943.
In 1974War andKing Crimson played at the Stanley.[5]
On April 29, 1974, theKing Biscuit Flower Hour recorded a show at the Stanley byRobin Trower for a later broadcast.
In 1976, the Stanley was purchased and renovated by the Cinemette Corporation to be operated as a movie theater. In 1977,DiCesare Engler Productions bought the theater.
September 23, 1978,Frank Zappa played two sets at the Stanley Theatre.
Live rock and roll concerts presented through 1984.
TheGrateful Dead performed four shows at the venue, and reggae musicianBob Marley performed his last live concert there in 1980, before his death in 1981.[6] The only known photographs from the show were featured inKevin Macdonald's documentary filmMarley.[7]
Prince kicked off hisControversy Tour in1981 at the Stanley. The rock bandKansas chose the Benedum Center to host its 40th Anniversary Fan Appreciation Concert on August 17, 2013, which all the original members were to attend.
The Stanley Theater was named "Number One Auditorium in the U.S." byBillboard[8][9] several times during the DiCesare-Engler years.[10][11][12]
On September 25, 1987, after a $43 million restoration was completed, the Stanley reopened as the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts. In converting the former movie palace into a full performing arts center, a new building including an extension to the stage and support facilities was built at the rear of the theater. The interior was largely preserved and restored to its original design, with the addition of a new acoustical baffle covering the original proscenium.
The centerpiece of the auditorium is the large chandelier in the dome above the balcony. It weighs 4,700 lb (2,100 kg), is 20 feet (6.1 m) high by 12 feet (3.7 m) wide. Its restoration was dedicated to the late H.J. Heinz II.
Today the center is the home of thePittsburgh Opera,Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, andPittsburgh Civic Light Opera, all of which used to be based atHeinz Hall. The 2,800-seat Benedum Center is a centerpiece of the Pittsburgh Cultural District and is one of the most utilized theaters in the nation today.[citation needed]
The center has hosted severalPBSdoo-wop television concert specials includingDoo Wop 50. The TV game showWheel of Fortune taped two weeks of shows at the theater for the first two weeks of their 16th season in 1998.
Marley's last show was a critical aspect of the film and there was no video or photo record... except mine.
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