38°37′40″N 90°12′07″W / 38.6277°N 90.2019°W / 38.6277; -90.2019

Stifel Theatre
Facade of venue (c.2009)
Map
Former namesMunicipal Opera House (1934–1943)
Kiel Opera House (1943–2010)
Peabody Opera House (2010–18)
Address1400 Market St
St. Louis, MO 63103-2609
LocationDowntown West
Public transitBus interchange MetroBus
Light rail interchange  Red   Blue 
At Civic Center
OwnerSLB Acquisition Holdings
Capacity3,100
Construction
Broke groundAugust 1932
OpenedApril 21, 1934 (1934-04-21)[2]
ClosedMay 7, 1991 (1991-05-07)—September 30, 2011 (2011-09-30)
ReopenedOctober 1, 2011 (2011-10-01)
Rebuilt2009-11
Construction cost$1 million
($21.4 million in 2022 dollars[3])
ArchitectLaBeaume and Klein[1]
Website
Venue Website
Kiel Opera House
Area6.4 acres (2.6 ha)
NRHP reference No.00000016[4]
Added to NRHPFebruary 11, 2000

The Stifel Theatre (originally known as the Municipal Opera House and formerly the Kiel Opera House and Peabody Opera House) is a civic performing arts building located in St. Louis, Missouri.

About the venue

Founded as the "Kiel Opera House" (in honor of former St. Louis Mayor Henry Kiel), opened in 1934 as a part of the "Municipal Auditorium and Opera House". The theatre operated until 1991, when it and the adjacent Kiel Auditorium were closed so the auditorium could be demolished and replaced by the Kiel Center, now known as Enterprise Center. When the auditorium was slated for demolition, the local consortium who owned the St. Louis Blues, Kiel Center's main tenant, promised to rehabilitate the opera house as well.[5] Neither that group nor the Bill Laurie family who bought the Blues in 1998, however, renovated the building, instead claiming that they had fulfilled their financial obligations.

In June 2009, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen voted 25–1 to subsidize the renovation and reopening of the theatre under the direction of the Blues' new owners, Sports Capital Partners.[6][7] The subsidies were funded by municipal bonds and state/federal historic tax credits. On July 12, 2010, it was announced that the name was changing to the "Peabody Opera House", named after the company Peabody Energy.[8] The renovation lasted for fourteen months and included the construction of a new entrance for the building.[9]

On October 1, 2011, the Peabody Opera House opened for the first time since the $79 million renovation. The show featured personalities such as Jay Leno, Aretha Franklin, and Chuck Berry and was attended by a full house of 3,100.[10] Since its reopening, it has played host to a diverse variety of performing acts, including touring musicians, comedians, live theatre and dance, and social and political events. On July 16, 2018, it was announced that the building had entered into a 10-year naming rights agreement with Stifel Financial Corp. and would be renamed Stifel Theatre.[11]

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

From 1934 until 1968, the Opera House was home to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. In April 1966, the Symphony's Board voted to purchase the St. Louis Theater on Grand Blvd. and began extensive renovations. The theater was renamed Powell Hall and remains the home of the SLSO. In 2023 the St. Louis Symphony returned to Stifel Theater for select concerts while Powell Hall goes through extensive renovations and additions.

Notable events

On June 20, 1965, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. with Johnny Carson as the emcee (subbing for Joey Bishop who was out with a bad back) performed their only televised concert together during the heyday of the Rat Pack. A closed-circuit broadcast done as a fundraiser for Dismas House (the first halfway house for ex-convicts). After being thought lost for thirty years, Paul Brownstein tracked down a print of the show that had been sitting in a closet in St. Louis. It has since been broadcast on Nick at Nite (in 1998) as part The Museum of Television & Radio Showcase series and released on DVD as part of the "Ultimate Rat Pack Collection: Live & Swingin'".

On July 11, 1978, The Rolling Stones performed one sold-out show at the theatre. Bill Graham was the tour promoter. The Stones used a stripped back, minimal stage presentation compared to previous tours with an emphasis solely on music and attitude rather than presenting a grandiose extravaganza. Because of the limited seating at such an excellent venue, fans who were unable to purchase tickets gathered outside the building before showtime in protest. A police force with dogs was needed to keep the peace.

References

Media related to Peabody Opera House at Wikimedia Commons

  1. ^ ".0Kiel Opera House". Ecology of Absence. August 25, 2006. Archived from the original on February 17, 2006. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  2. ^ "History". Peabody Opera House. March 2013. Archived from the original on March 12, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  3. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  4. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  5. ^ "Crumbling Landmarks: The Kiel Opera House". Built St. Louis. January 15, 2007. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  6. ^ Logan, Tim (June 6, 2009). "Kiel Opera House plan wins final city approval" (PDF). St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 26, 2012. Retrieved December 28, 2011 – via SCP Worldwide.
  7. ^ Garrison, Chad (June 5, 2009). "Board of Aldermen Approve Subsidy for Kiel Opera House". Riverfront Times. St. Louis. Archived from the original on June 8, 2009. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  8. ^ Duggan, Eileen P. (September 3, 2011). "New Life For St. Louis Landmark". Webster-Kirkwood Times. Archived from the original on March 12, 2019. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  9. ^ Lippmann, Rachel (September 30, 2011). "After 20 silent years, life returns to the Peabody Opera House". KWMU News. Archived from the original on October 21, 2011. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  10. ^ Johnson, Kevin C. (September 19, 2011). "Peabody premiere lives up to its billing". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  11. ^ Held, Kevin S. (July 16, 2018). "Peabody Opera House gets new name – Stifel Theatre". KTVI News. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
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