Grand Opera House (Brooklyn)

The Grand Opera House was a theatre in Brooklyn, New York that was in operation from 1881 through 1920.^[1] The theatre was demolished in 1924 along with several adjacent buildings to make room for the A. I. Namm & Son Department Store.^[2]

History

The Grand Opera House was built by the firm of Barry, Fay & Lewis;^[3] a partnership which consisted of theatrical impresario Benjamin Lewis (died 1905),^[4] and Irish comedic actors Hugo Fay and Billy Barry.^[2] The theater was constructed at 14 Elm Place,^[1] on the west side of the street just south of Fulton Ave.^[3] It was built on the former site of the Congregational Church on Elm Pl. which had been destroyed by fire in June 1880.^[5]

The Grand Opera House was inaugurated on Monday, November 14, 1881, with a performance of Muldoon's Picnic.^[6][1] Seating 2,000 people,^[1] at the time it opened it was the second largest theatre in Brooklyn; with only the Brooklyn Academy of Music surpassing its size.^[3] The theatre was purchased by the firm of Hyde and Benham in 1882.^[2] In 1907 it was acquired by Klaw and Erlanger for their chain of theatres, and the following year it became part of The Shubert Organization's chain of theatres.^[7] The building remained in operation as a theatre until 1920.^[1] The theatre, along with several adjacent buildings, was demolished in 1924 for the purposes of building the A. I. Namm & Son Department Store.^[2]