Spreckels Theatre is a performing arts center located in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

. It was touted as "the first modern commercial playhouse west of the Mississippi". It was designed for philanthropist

John D. Spreckels John Diedrich Spreckels (August 16, 1853 – June 7, 1926), the son of German-American industrialist Claus Spreckels, founded a transportation and real estate empire in San Diego, California, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The entrepr ...

, and was meant to commemorate the opening of the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a Channel ( ...

. Built in 1912, it was originally created to host live theater performances, but was converted to allow motion pictures in 1931. It has been in continuous operation since its opening, with a few brief intervals for refurbishing.

Architecture

Architect Harrison Albright designed the Spreckels Theater for the city's premier philanthropist, sugar heir

. The building, which opened on August 23, 1912, was constructed to commemorate the opening of the

. As with many west coast buildings from this era, it is constructed of reinforced concrete and concrete panels with architectural terra cotta manufactured by Gladding, McBean. The six-story building has a marquee over the main entrance. The theater is a 1,915-seat auditorium with an ornate Baroque interior. The auditorium is open with no pillars or columns to obstruct sightlines. The number of seats was chosen to correspond with the Panama-California Exposition year (1915). The stage is 82 feet x 58 feet, and was one of the largest stages ever constructed.

History

The theater originally presented live theatrical productions. Notable performers at the Spreckels included Enrico Caruso, John Barrymore, Al Jolson,

Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklaho ...

, and Abbott and Costello. In 1931, it was converted into a first-run motion picture house by its then-owner Louis B. Metzger. In 1976, owner/operator Jacquelyn Littlefield (Metzger's daughter) restored it to a live theater format, bringing touring Broadway shows to San Diego in cooperation with the Nederlander Organization. When fire destroyed San Diego's Old Globe Theatre in 1978, the Spreckels hosted the Globe's 1978-79 season. Every July since 2015 (except for 2020), TBS has rented the theater for a week for Conan O'Brien to host his self-titled talk show from the theater to correspond with that year's San Diego Comic Con. There are four tapings that occur, which each episode airing the following evening. Casts from several big name television shows have appeared such as

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, Top Gun: Maverick,

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, and It Chapter Two.

Today

San Diego's Spreckels Building was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

in 1975. It continues to operate as a theater.

Past Performers

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* Cocteau Twins * George Arliss * William Powell *

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* Ronald Coleman *

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* Ed Wynn * Bert Lahr * Ronald Reagan * Eva La Gallienne * Honi Coles * Carol Shelly *

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* Julian Bream * Burt Lancaster * Chris Issak *

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* Bobby Caldwell * Kenny Loggins * Linda Lavin * Jamie Foxx * Jeffrey Osborne *

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* Dave Koz * The Doobie Brothers * Todd Rungren *

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* Bela Flek *

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* Hootie and The Blowfish *

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* Dave Chappelle * Margaret Cho * Lisa Lampenelli * David Brenner * Eddie Griffin * Ghost(Swedish_band) *

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* George Lopez * Rita Rudner * The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company * The Martha Graham Dance Company * The Royal Shakespeare Company * The Moscow Art Theatre, Ballet Folklorico de Mexico * The Paul Whiteman Orchestra * The Kirov Ballet * The Alvin Alley Dance Company * The Harlem Boys Choir

References

{{National Register of Historic Places Buildings and structures in San Diego National Register of Historic Places in San Diego Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in California Culture of San Diego Event venues established in 1912 1912 establishments in California Performing arts centers in California