Beautiful and beloved. Wilmington’s Thalian Hall
ROMANCES NEWCOMERS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE
WITH THE POETRY OF PERFORMANCE.
by Ede D. Baldridge
visit Thalian I hill.
Wilmington's opera house,
is to lall in love with
Wilmington. It lia|>|K'tis all the
lime. Often it is an introduction
to Thalian Hall that's tin
deciding far lot in whether a
business, a retiree, or an entre¬
preneur moves to
Wilmington.
Thalian Halt is the jewel in
this city's crown." says Tony
Rivenbark. the theater's executive
director, whose Ime affair with the theater
covets more than 30 years.
Since the Late 18th century, Wilmington
lias enjoyed the |x-iiorinances of pmfes-
sioibil touring lompaniev as well as am.i-
teui prixluc lions. I he Thalian Association,
an organi/atioii that stalled as a gentle¬
men's acting society in 1788. rightfully
boasts ol Ix-ing the oldest community the-
atet tradition in the I'nited States. (The
company took its name from Thalia, the
muse ot coincdv and |>asioial |xk-iiv in
('.reek mvthologv.)
The Thalian HalKltv Hall was built in
1 855. when Wilmington was the largest c its
in North Carolina. It is the only surviving
theatei designed by John Montague, emi¬
nent American Hlth-century theater arclii-
ti4 t.anrl it is listed on the National Registet
ol I iistorii Plac es. Further, it is said to have
a ghost.
“It’s a jew«i (jewel is a lavorite description
Thalian Hall) ol American theater archi¬
tecture." says Doug Swink. founder and
director ol Pied Pi|x-r Theatre lor chil¬
dren. whose- productions are given in the
hall. Abu couldn’t ask for a better place.
It’s intimate. And the acoustics are so good
no microphones are needed, although
they ait*, indeed, employed.”
At the turn ol the 20th century, the
opera house underwent a modest lace lilt,
(jimson velour seats were added, and the
ornate proscenium was installed. Garlands
and wreaths, in reds and greens and gold,
were stenciled on the balcony fascia, and.
for the next quarter ol acenitn v. the shows
little opera house was in constant use-.
“Wlu-n I was |2 years old. and my little
brother. Bill, was six year* old. we did a tap
dance routine to “Me and Mv Shadow" as
part ol the entertainment for a Miss
Wilmington pageant." says Charlie
Kivenlxirk (no relation to the theater's
executive director), Wilmington citv
councilman and restaurateur. “I
thought I was in Carnegie Hall
when I was on that stage. Now, I
didn't know what Carnegie
i Hall was like, but I knew it
couldn’t be any better than
this!"
From its niid-19th-century
beginnings until the 1930s. the the¬
ater was leased
1л
private entrepre¬
neurs who booked road shows and the stai
attractions of the day. such as Buffalo Bill
Cody and John Philip Sousa. Local events
such as concerts, recitals, graduations,
pageants, lectures, and even roller skating
also were on the bill. The activities in the
theatei reflected what was going on in the
community — economic ups and downs
— changes and git mill — and they still do.
The jewel begins to tarnish
Alas, the jewel's luster began to tarnish.
The Great Depression sounded the death
knell for traveling shows. Talk of demolish¬
ing the declining theater surfaced fre¬
quently. Each time it did. however, the fac¬
tion favoring its preservation overruled the
naysayers. In 1963. concern about the city's
shabby ball motivated the Junior League of
Wilmington to establish the Thalian I lall
Commission Inc. to study the building,
develop a plan for its restoration, and a
.-.no. .4 II- lluU.ii Hill \iilinr.(.4k<l»H.
Our Slatc/Fcbnutv 1997
28
