This building wasn’t just an opera house. Oh no, it was the Swiss Army knife of venues. Concerts? Check. Opera? You bet. Basketball games, circuses, and even auto shows zoomed through here. There were so many flags waving from the domes and light bulbs outlining the roof that it must have looked like Denver’s own crown jewel. I bet if you stood too close at night, you’d be mistaken for a moth. And here’s a fun twist: the stage itself could be moved! Want a theater? Slide the stage in place for 3,326 seats. Need something bigger, like a rodeo? Raise the proscenium and suddenly, you could fit up to 12,000 people. Imagine the echo when the circus was in town!
Music Week in the 1920s and 30s turned Denver into Colorado’s musical beating heart. People from all over showed up. In 1921, locals performed “Martha,” and for the first time, a full opera was broadcast on the radio. So if your great-grandparents were listening to opera in their pajamas, this was where it all started!
For most of the 20th century, this was Denver’s home for opera and just about any big spectacle you can dream up. Renovations in the 1950s, 80s, 90s, and 2000s kept the house fresh, like a singer warming up before a big aria. By the early 2000s, it was time for an encore. The city and the Caulkins family pitched in millions-no small tip jar!-to turn it into the beauty you see today.
The “Ellie” opened its doors in 2005 with a star-studded gala and a grand performance of Carmen, giving Opera Colorado a home worthy of its talents. The old walls still echo with the sounds of standing ovations, wild applause, and maybe the occasional dropped program floating down from the balconies.
