| Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com A remarkable number of Wisconsin towns and cities were home to an opera house in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Some were freestanding structures built by local benefactors, others were located within a city hall building and financed by local tax dollars. “Opera house” might be a lofty description for several of these opera houses. “Little if any grand opera was performed in these theaters,” notes author Brian Leahy Doyle. In fact, some of these theaters occasionally doubled as a roller-skating rink. Encore! chronicles the histories of ten Wisconsin opera houses and theaters. Each chapter covers a theater’s genesis, design, and construction; its history as a performance space for both professional and amateur theatrical events; and its function as a community center or meeting place, revealing the vital role theater has played in Wisconsin’s history. With the advent of other forms of popular entertainment such as movies, radio, and television, many of these opera houses and theaters fell into disrepair. Faced with losing their community’s opera house, local citizens have restored all but one of the architectural gems featured in this book. By extension, they are continuing a tradition of live performances and have helped revitalize downtown economies by preserving these valuable community resources. The text is accompanied by historical images as well as luminous contemporary color photos that prove these stages are truly ready for their encores. | | |