Hippodrome Theater (Richmond, Virginia)

The Hippodrome Theater is located in Richmond, Virginia. It is situated in the historical African-American neighborhood of Jackson Ward, which was referred to as “The Harlem of the South” during the 1920s. The Hippodrome Theater was originally opened as a vaudeville and movie theater and was a stop on the "chitlin' circuit" of places considered safe and acceptable for African American entertainers in the era of racial segregation in the United States. Today, The Hippodrome Theater has been restored to a fully functioning performance venue in hopes of reclaiming its prominent role in African-American cultural history.

The Hippodrome Theater was opened in 1914 by Charles A. Somma as a vaudeville and movie theater. The theater played a major role in the entertainment of Richmond's African-American community during the early 20th century. It is located on Second Street in Richmond, which was once known as The Deuce. The Deuce was a notorious center of black commerce in Richmond and the street was lined with stores, restaurants, banks, and theaters. Essentially, The Deuce was the esteemed location in Richmond for black nightlife and The Hippodrome Theater was one of The Deuce's leading attractions from the 1920s to the 1940s. During this period, Richmond's African-American community was heavily influenced by New York City's Harlem Renaissance and the theater attracted big performers who were prominent in the cultural movement's performance scene. These performers included talents such as Billie Holiday, Bill Robinson, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Moms Mabley, James Brown, Ida Cox, Ella Fitzgerald and countless others who performed on the Hippodrome’s stage. In 1937 The Hippodrome Theater was purchased from Charles A. Somma by the Abe Lichtman theater chain.

...
Wikipedia