HOWELL, Mich. (WXYZ) — The historic Howell Opera House hosted its first opera in over a century on Friday night with a production of "The Pirates of Penzance."
Watch Jolie Sherman's video report:
Built in 1881, the theater was closed by the fire marshal in 1924. The Livingston Arts Council bought the building in 2000.
PREVIOUS STORY: Historic Howell Opera House prepares to raise curtain for first time in 100 years
"When people come up here tonight, they’re excited. They’re experiencing what was here 144 years ago," Sharon Fischer said.
Fischer is the vice president of the Livingston Arts Council. She said that when the theater was built, the first floor remained a hardware store for 120 years, and the upper theater was used for storage for 76 years.
"I’m very excited to have a production like this. Basically a Hollywood production on our little stage," Howell resident Marsha Noble said.
"We’re excited to see it as a theater again," Douglas Paige said.
The actors performed without microphones, utilizing the building's natural acoustics.
"There’s something really uniquely intimate about this space that we’re performing in right now, with gorgeous natural acoustics. None of the actors you’re going to be seeing tonight are mic’ed. There’s no amplification other than just our voices," Geoffrey Kelm said.
"It really is a play that brings people together. It’s comedy. We all need a laugh in the world now. We need some joy," Genessa Claeys said. "This opera house has a story to tell, and tonight we’re going to tell it, and it’s an honor to be a part of it."
The show runs two weekends: Saturday, April 25, Friday, May 1, and Saturday May 2 at 7:00 p.m. To purchase tickets, click here.
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