Metropolitan Opera House
Nocatyes
PartofWashington Avenue Commercial Historic District
Partof refnum12000889
Location515 Washington St.
Iowa Falls, Iowa
Coordinates42°30′55″N 93°16′8″W
LocmapinIowa#USA
Built1899
ArchitectO'Meyer & Thori
ArchitectureRenaissance Revival
Italian Renaissance
AddedFebruary 20, 1975
Refnum75000690[1]

The Metropolitan Opera House (MOH) is a historic opera house in Iowa Falls, Iowa, United States. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.[2] In 2012 it was included as a contributing property in the Washington Avenue Commercial Historic District.[3]

The Metropolitan Opera House was designed by the Omeyer & Thori architecture firm and opened with its first performance on December 27, 1899, with an audience numbering over 800, later proclaimed as the "biggest social event in the history of Iowa Falls." The house hosted notable artists including Otis Skinner, Walker Whiteside, and John Philip Sousa and his band. Between 1930–54, the house presented films and served as a venue for concerts and drama and dance productions of Ellsworth College and Iowa Falls High School. The theatre underwent restoration in 1993 and received upgrades to its digital projectors in June 2013 after it was purchased by John P. Whitesell of Iowa Falls.[4]

Oscar-nominated actor Hugh Jackman appeared at The Met's grand re-opening with his family on September 20, 2013. He introduced two of his films — Prisoners and The Wolverine.[5]

References

  1. ^
  2. ^ Metropolitan Opera House (Iowa Falls, Iowa) at the National Register of Historic Places
  3. ^ Molly Myers Naumann. "Washington Avenue Commercial Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  4. ^ http://www.iafalls.com/historic/Met_Theatre.html
  5. ^ Hugh Jackman visit