Howard Theatre
Exterior of theatre after renovation (c.2015)
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| Address | 620 T St. NW Washington, D.C. 20001-5117 |
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| Location | Northwest |
| Owner | Council of the District of Columbia |
| Operator | Blue Note Entertainment Group |
| Capacity | 700 (Reserved) 1,000 (General Admission) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | August 22, 1910 |
| Renovated | 1941, 1972, 2012 |
| Architect | J. Edward Storck |
| Website | |
| Venue Website | |
| Building details | |
| General information | |
| Renovated | April 9, 2012 |
| Renovation cost | $30 million |
| Renovating team | |
| Renovating firm | Martinez & Johnson Architecture, Marshall Moya Design |
| Structural engineer | Lundy & Franke Engineering |
| Services engineer | Metropolitan Engineering |
| Civil engineer | Wiles Mensch Engineering |
| Main contractor | Whiting-Turner |
| Awards and prizes | DC Award for Excellence in Historic Resources (2012) |
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Howard Theatre
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| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| Part of | Greater U Street Historic District |
| NRHP Reference # | 74002162 |
| Added to NRHP | February 15, 1974 |
The Howard Theatre is a historic theater, located at 620 T Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C. Opened in 1910, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
In its heyday, the theater was known for catering to an African-American clientele, and had played host to many of the great black musical artists of the early and mid-twentieth century. The Howard Theatre was billed as the "Theater of the People," and supported two theatrical organizations, the Lafayette Players and the Howard University Players. In September 2010 extensive renovations were started to restore the theater to its former glory. The theater reopened on April 9, 2012 to headline acts like Wanda Sykes, Blue Oyster Cult, and Chaka Khan, all appearing in the first month since reopening.
Constructed in 1910, the theater was founded and owned by the National Amusement Company, a white-owned group. When built, it had a capacity of more than 1,200. Designed by J. Edward Storck, the theater featured orchestra and balcony seats and eight proscenium boxes, with a lavishly decorated interior. No less extravagant was the exterior, which combined elements of the Beaux-Arts, Italian Renaissance, and neoclassical styles. The whole was surmounted by a larger than life statue of Apollo playing his lyre.
Andrew Thomas served as the theater's manager during its early years. Beginning in 1922 it was leased and run by actor, producer, and entrepreneur Sherman Dudley. It was taken over in 1926 by Abe Lichtman, the white owner of a chain of movie theaters that were frequented by blacks. With the onset of the Great Depression, the building became a church for a time under the direction of Elder Michaux. In 1931, as part of the venue's return to its original purpose, Duke Ellington appeared with his band at "the Howard," helping also to cement the theater's reputation as an entertainment hotspot. This rebirth was helped along by Shep Allen, the building's new manager. In the 1930s Allen introduced an amateur contest that was used as a springboard to stardom by Billy Eckstine and Ella Fitzgerald.
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