CALUMET THEATRE AND "A REVUE OF REVUES"

Houghton MI (Low 57 Clouds and Sun with Storms High 75)

We completed our move to Site #6 yesterday and got settled in before the thunderstorms hit. Not nearly as bad as the storms that Jim and Dee from Tumbleweed recently went through that is for sure. They are OK but to be so close to such severe weather in an RV is terrifying.

We recently went to the historic Calumet Theatre in nearby Calumet Michigan. The Calumet Theatre had its first opening night on March 20th, 1900, "the greatest social event ever known in copperdom's metropolis" The theatre contained a magnificent stage and elegant interior decorations, including an electrified copper chandelier. You are in copper country that is for sure.

The theatre adapted over the years from live drama with such stars as: Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Lon Chaney Sr., Wallace Beery, John Phillip Sousa, Sarah Bernhardt, Lillian Russell, and many others. This era gave way to motion pictures in the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's. Currently the Theatre is a venue for modern day notables such as Leo Kottke, Kathy Mattea, Arlo Guthrie, The Osmonds, and many others. 

We toured the Theatre after we bought our tickets. Here is the stage from just after entering from the lobby.

Here are closeups of the box seats on both sides of the stage showing the murals on the ring above the stage.

Here is a view of the balcony from the stage.

A view from the balcony to the stage.

Seating in the balcony.

The projector used for the movies in the 1930's.

It was exciting to tour such an historic theatre and then attend a show there. We were there for "A Revue of Revues", a Pine Mountain Music Festival performance of highlights from seasons past. Area opera artists performing music from Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Stephen Sondheim, Richard Rogers and others. It was a great show and the voices were amazing but they did not use microphones and if they were turned away from the audience or behind the music it was hard to hear. Still a very good show though.

It's good to be us,

Till next time,

Bob and Jo