Mikie Member Username: Mikie
Post Number: 141 Registered: 06-2006
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 1:26 pm: | |
"Mike Ilitch-owned Olympia Entertainment is expected to announce today or Tuesday that it has taken over management of the Masonic Temple under a deal aimed at expanding his family's sports and entertainment empire and saving the tax-ridden landmark, which faces foreclosure March 1." http://www.detnews.com/apps/pb cs.dll/article?AID=/20080218/B IZ/802180403 |
3420 Member Username: 3420
Post Number: 158 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 2:01 pm: | |
I wonder if the Illitches would bring back the Metropolitan Opera. |
Rb336 Member Username: Rb336
Post Number: 5189 Registered: 02-2007
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 2:02 pm: | |
Why would they? |
3420 Member Username: 3420
Post Number: 159 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 2:05 pm: | |
Thought it would be nice for an opening at the Masonic Temple. |
Tarkus Member Username: Tarkus
Post Number: 456 Registered: 04-2006
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 2:20 pm: | |
Ummm 3420, you do know that there is an Opera House in Detroit, don't you? It's called "The Detroit Opera House" and they put on Operas. |
Mikie Member Username: Mikie
Post Number: 142 Registered: 06-2006
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 2:24 pm: | |
By the way, if you open the article there's a link under "related articles" to some great pictures of the interior. |
3420 Member Username: 3420
Post Number: 160 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 2:40 pm: | |
I know there is an Opera House Tarkus. Been to the Detroit Opera House numerous times to enjoy the fine arts. At one time the Metropolitan Opera did shows at the Masonic Temple back in the day. |
Iddude313 Member Username: Iddude313
Post Number: 155 Registered: 07-2005
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 2:45 pm: | |
I'm glad the Ilitch's are going to help out the Masonic. That building would look awesome properly uplit at night! It's such an architectural landmark. This makes me wonder about the American Hotel. Will it get razed? |
3420 Member Username: 3420
Post Number: 161 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 2:50 pm: | |
The American Hotel would make some great apartments. |
Neilr Member Username: Neilr
Post Number: 658 Registered: 06-2005
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 2:54 pm: | |
Tarkus, the Met used to come to Detroit for one week every year. They would present a different opera every night for that week at Masonic. I don't believe that it cut into the attendance at Michigan Opera which has a much longer season (at that time in Music Hall). If anything, the excitement of the week increased the local interest in opera. Also, local restaurants did a booming business that week. |
Raptor56 Member Username: Raptor56
Post Number: 267 Registered: 05-2007
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 3:23 pm: | |
ummm... Isn't this old news? |
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup
Post Number: 3509 Registered: 06-2004
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 3:52 pm: | |
It wasn't a done deal before, Raptor. The Met quit touring because it was too expensive, and now they have the movie theater broadcasts anyway. There's no way they'll hit the road now. One of the Masonic management's major beefs was that Nederland catered to the smaller Fisher and quit booking stuff into Masonic, so the Temple wasn't making the $$ they should have been. |
Norwalk Member Username: Norwalk
Post Number: 213 Registered: 11-2006
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 4:01 pm: | |
Ilich? Kiss the American Hotel Goodbye |
Mikie Member Username: Mikie
Post Number: 143 Registered: 06-2006
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 4:03 pm: | |
Since the Fisher Theater has been brought up, I was wondering if anyone else heard a rumor that the theater is going to close. When I was on a tour of the building last week the rumor came up but the tour director would not confirm it (but her eye's said yes). |
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup
Post Number: 3510 Registered: 06-2004
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 4:06 pm: | |
closing for renovation, not closing for good is what I've heard |
Treelock Member Username: Treelock
Post Number: 276 Registered: 03-2005
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 4:07 pm: | |
A colleague of mine at work visited the Masonic a couple of months ago and said all the employees at the time were wearing Olympia Entertainment badges and shirts. Why it's taken them so long to announce it is anyone's guess. |
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup
Post Number: 3512 Registered: 06-2004
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 4:11 pm: | |
If the MTA finances were as ugly as I heard then it probably took a while to really study the feasibility and hammer out the details. |
Greatlakes Member Username: Greatlakes
Post Number: 149 Registered: 07-2007
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 4:13 pm: | |
Surprised nobody mentioned this:
quote:One key would be linking the Masonic and MotorCity by an elevated tram so casino-goers could watch a show at the temple and shuttle back to the gambling venue, Dorn said. Sounds similar to the idea of expanding the People Mover that Marian Ilitch mentioned a while back. |
Chitaku Member Username: Chitaku
Post Number: 1859 Registered: 03-2006
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 4:37 pm: | |
kellafinos owns the hotel next door |
Mrsjdaniels Member Username: Mrsjdaniels
Post Number: 437 Registered: 08-2005
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 4:43 pm: | |
Olympia was staffing based on the contract - hence the badges...but it seems like they will be taking over FOR GOOD now |
Thoswolfe Member Username: Thoswolfe
Post Number: 28 Registered: 11-2007
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 7:22 pm: | |
This may not be good news for the Temple, since Olympia controls other competetive venues. deja' vu. Its too late to bring back the Shriners, they moved to Southfield. When Nederlander took over management at State Fair, the Shriners were 'ran off' from hosting the annual circus there. Seems there were plans for a racetrack and selling off land, they needed to demonstrate that the coliseum did not generate any income. When Nederlander took on management of Masonic Temple, rents were raised. All who could leave (Shriners but not Masonic lodges) found new homes. What Nederlander's agenda was noone knows, unless it was to contol a competitive venue then force it into bankruptcy? Is this a repeat with a different 'operator'? |
Gps Member Username: Gps
Post Number: 12 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 7:36 pm: | |
Thoswolfe, I think regardless of Olympia Entertainment's agenda it is good for the Masons and the Masonic temple that there is a contract that keeps the building operating for years to come. What Illitch decides to do with the space is almost secondary. |
Gistok Member Username: Gistok
Post Number: 6321 Registered: 08-2004
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 11:31 pm: | |
I too think that this is a win-win for everyone. Granted most folks don't want the Ilitch's to own everything in the entertainment business, in this instance not taking over the Masonic would have meant certain closure and the relocation of the 14 masonic lodges (most likely to the suburbs)... a bad situation for sure. As for the Nederlander folks, it appears they are already preparing for the next phase of their Detroit entertainment program. The 4,404 seat Masonic was a little too large for many of their shows. And yet the 2,089 seat Fisher Theatre (which the Nederlander's shrank down from the 2,975 seat exotic Mayanesque old Fisher Theatre in the 1961 remodeling) is too small (seating wise) for many of their shows. So the new remodeling will likely take back some of the empty space hidden behind the 1961 shrunken shell of the new Fisher. The outcome is several hundred more seats, most likely by taking back some of the former (larger) Balcony space. Even the 2 story Fisher lobby once was 3 stories tall. I don't know if that'll be affected by the enlargement/remodeling. It's too bad that they ripped out nearly all of the old Fisher's exotic plasterwork back in 1961. Might have been cheaper to remodel back to its' old self, had it still existed behind the void of the smaller new theatre shell. (Message edited by Gistok on February 18, 2008) |
Treble484 Member Username: Treble484
Post Number: 47 Registered: 02-2006
| Posted on Monday, February 18, 2008 - 11:51 pm: | |
Nederlander never controled rent at the Masonic, but the shortage in revenues cause the MTA to keep raising rent to make up the difference more or less. Rents for the Shrine and Scottish Rite didn't justify staying there. The Scottish Rite moved when the tax and utility bill became to large and threats of closing the building were made. |
Single_malt Member Username: Single_malt
Post Number: 6 Registered: 02-2008
| Posted on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 - 12:09 pm: | |
It is a beautiful building nonetheless. As a member of the Masons, Shrine, Scottish Rite, and a few other organizations that meet there or met there, this news is a day late and a dollar short. Most of the revenue generating bodies have left, as previously mentioned, to keep up with the high rents paid to the MTA. Either way, this building is a jewel of the city. If you ever have a chance to visit it, do so. The tours are free, and the architecture, design, and functionality from back in the day shows what this organization was once was. I'm happy that the Illitch organization will breathe life into this building and bring more shows into the theatre. It is just a shame that the Shrine and Scottish Rite have moved out. It only leaves a few Masonic Lodges and The Commandary there. (Message edited by single_malt on February 19, 2008) |