Morris A. Mechanic Theatre
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Morris A. Mechanic Theatre in 2008 | |
 Interactive map of Morris A. Mechanic Theatre | |
| Address | 1 South Charles Street Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°17′20.5″N 76°36′56.75″W / 39.289028°N 76.6157639°W |
| Capacity | 1,614 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1967 |
| Closed | 2004 |
| Demolished | 2014 |
| Years active | 1967 – 2004 |
The Morris A. Mechanic Theatre was a playhouse at 1 South Charles Street that was part of the Charles Center of Baltimore, Maryland. The theatre was built by and named for owner Morris A. Mechanic who operated a number of theatres in the city such as The Stanton Theatre, Ford's Grand Opera House, the Centre Theatre, and the Century and Valencia Theatres, all of which have since been demolished except for the Centre. The Mechanic theatre was demolished in 2014.
Mechanic planned the theatre to replace the aging Ford's Grand Opera House, which he had purchased in 1929 and had demolished in February 1964, replaced by a parking garage for Stewart's Department Store. A year later, he also had the Stanton Theatre (located at 516 North Howard Street) demolished in July 1965 (also replaced by a parking lot) to avoid any competition with his new theatre which bore his name. Mechanic bought the theatre from the Stanley Warner Corporation in February 1958 and changed the name to The Stanton in the fall of 1959, using it primarily for legitimate shows, closed-circuit television shows, variety shows, and movies and also including live performance shows which he leased to JF Theatres. He engaged architect John M. Johansen who designed the building in a style he termed "functional expressionism", also known as brutalism.[1] Mechanic chose the site formerly occupied by offices of The Baltimore Sun.
Mechanic died in 1966 from a heart attack while the building was under construction and his widow, Clarisse, joined Mayor Theodore McKeldin and Eugene M. Feinblatt, chairman of the Baltimore Urban Renewal and Housing Agency, in presiding over the opening gala January 16, 1967. For many years, the theater was Baltimore's primary venue to host touring Broadway plays and helped the city shed its reputation as a "lousy theatre town".[2]
Several Broadway-bound productions had their tryouts at the Mechanic. They include I'm Solomon, Jimmy Shine, Applause, The Wiz, Smile, Lend Me a Tenor, and Busker Alley.[citation needed]
However, in the 1980s and 1990s, producers felt that the theatre was too small and outdated to accommodate the larger shows of the era.[3]
Jujamcyn Theaters began managing the Mechanic in 1998.[4] SFX (later Clear Channel Entertainment) bought Jujamcyn's production arm in 2000.[5] The theater ceased operation in 2004 when the restored Hippodrome Theatre reopened. Clear Channel Entertainment operated the Hippodrome and chose not to renew its lease on the Mechanic.[6]
