DETROIT (WXYZ) — Outside the Detroit Opera House, you can’t help but feel a renewed energy and a sign of better times.
Over a year ago, the downtown venue faced financial struggles, which led to show cancellations.
Now, they’ve made significant changes to navigate more than a million dollars previously lost in grant funding.
“I think it’s important to make sure that in a world that’s very much so defined by, I think, screens and all that stuff, having important spaces where you have access to arts in person is super essential,” said Katie Couture, who was visiting to plan an upcoming event.
Couture and others are praising the Detroit Opera House for securing new partnerships like one with the University of Michigan to help identify ways to bring in new revenue and expand show accessibility.
“It’s great that they were about to rise back up after everything they’ve been through,” Couture said. “We are having an event at the Detroit Opera House on September 26th called The Coney. It’s a sort of celebrity homecoming where we’re bringing a bunch of Michigan natives and their friends back to raise funds to support youth arts programs in Detroit.”
Watch our coverage from last year below:
Detroit Opera House Chief Marketing Officer Samantha Teeter says more money has flowed in through securing new donors, offering more diverse shows, incorporating the rooftop and attracting younger audiences.
“We are also opening up the access to more of our Detroit residents. So, we created a Detroit Resident Rush $25 ticket offer,” Teeter said. “For our Symphonic PFunk with George Clinton that we had this past January, we actually had over 300 zip codes that purchased tickets to come.”
CEO Patty Isacson Sabee also says the diverse shows helped after the financial setback. “We hosted ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and ‘Lion King.’ It’s graduations and weddings — we are a part of people’s lives here,” Sabee said.
She acknowledged challenges for all arts institutions remain but says being on stronger financial footing is a great step for one of the city’s most beloved destinations.
For Detroiter Freddie Payne, it comes down to preserving something special despite tough times forcing many people to cut back.
“It’s always been a great experience. One that I miss the most is ‘Bravo’ they did here years ago. It’s important to diversify when you’ve got to go in different directions and do what you’ve got to do to stay open,” Payne said.
The Detroit Opera House says they’re especially proud of using both local as well as national and international talent as part of their ongoing productions.
