The Howard Theatre: A New Era for “The Theatre for the People”

Before The Apollo, before the Regal – there was The Howard Theatre. Dubbed “The Theatre for the People,” The Howard was the country’s first and largest theater for black audiences when it opened its doors in 1910 – a fact that would shape The Howard’s legacy and cement its place as an iconic cultural institution in the heart of the Nation’s Capital.

The Howard Theatre was first imagined as a home to vaudeville acts, live theater, and local talent shows. However, it wasn’t until 1931 when a theater manager from Atlantic City breathed new life into the venue following the Great Depression. Shep Allen, affectionately known as “D.C.’s Dean of Show Biz” reopened The Howard as a movie house and live entertainment venue, a rebirth that would lay the groundwork for the venue’s cultural prominence for decades to come.

Throughout the course of the 20th century, The Howard captivated audiences with the best Black talent in the country. An unknown Ella Fitzgerald debuted at one of The Howard’s popular amateur night contests, a first of its kind at the time. An up-and-coming group known as The Supremes, introduced new member, Diana Ross, on The Howard’s stage.Jazz greats like Washington native, Duke Ellington, shared the stage with influential speakers like Booker T. Washington. Now household names, the list of performers who cut their teeth at The Howard in the 1940s, 50s and 60s are names that fill America’s history books and are taught in today’s music school curriculums. Beyond live performances, the venue functioned as a community mainstay, playing host to a number of social soirees with attendees that included President Franklin D. Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and Hollywood greats such as Abbott and Costello, Cesar Romero, and Danny Kaye.

When the nation was still deeply divided by segregation, The Howard provided a place where color barriers blurred and music unified. Given its significance among other businesses on D.C. “Black Broadway,” the Theatre felt the impact of the 1968 riots in the wake of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and though it fought to remain open through the 1970s, the steady degradation of the neighborhood forced the Theater to close its doors once again in 1980 for what could have been the final curtain call.

After a 32-year hiatus and a $29 million renovation, The Howard Theatre reopened its doors on April 12, 2012, marking a new era of live events and entertainment in its long and prestigious history. The weeklong celebration included an opening lineup featuring Wale, Wanda Sykes, The Roots, Robert Randolph, Taj Mahal, Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def), Meshell Ndegeocello, Bad Brains, Chuck Brown, Chuck Berry, Esperanza Spalding, and Smokey Robinson. Operated by Blue Note Entertainment, the city saw a rebirth of entertainment at The Howard over the next 8 years until the sudden shutdown in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While a number of businesses, restaurants, and live music venues were unable to weather the storm, The Howard proved once again that its tenacious story was not yet finished. Enter Union Stage Presents. As live entertainment looked to make a resurgence in 2022 following the pandemic, Union Stage Presents was contacted to pick up the baton and carry The Howard forward into its next era.

The persistent theme throughout The Howard’s storied history is its ability to adapt and overcome, while striving to remain a place where all people are welcome and where all cultures can thrive. With Union Stage Presents at the helm, The Howard will continue to attract a diverse audience and calendar of events – from hip hop and bi-lingual rap to French psych-punk rock and ethiopian jazz.

A venue that has always been on the cutting edge of the current day’s entertainment, The Howard aims to remain the theatre of the people, by the people, and for the people, just as it has been for 114 years.