The Corning Opera House is a one-of-a-kind attraction.
The Corning Opera House is a one-of-a-kind attraction.
Transcript
[Kohlsdorf] Perched on a hilltop overlooking the Adams County seat, the Corning Opera House is set in a perfect place to share its story.
[De Heaton] Some people describe it like the old malls had anchors on each end. It's the anchor that holds it together and that we're on the top of Main Street. So some people call it that way.
[Kohlsdorf] Built in 1902, the Corning Opera House and Cultural Center operated as an opera house until 1934 and was uniquely positioned to bring big name acts to town.
[De Heaton] And opera houses were built as community centers. So there was a lot of community events. Railroad track goes through so a lot of vaudeville acts came on the train and they would perform. They had acts from Chicago and New York perform here.
[Kohlsdorf] Besides attracting unique acts and plays, the Corning Opera House is in itself a one of a kind attraction.
[De Heaton] So when you travel along 34, you want to stop in Corning at the opera house, because we have a very unique stage. We're the only one in the state of Iowa that has a raked stage, which means it has half inch per foot slope. And Shakespeare designed that. So when people were on stage, the people in back would be taller and could be seen better. Performers think our sound and lights are amazing. We've had people from Branson and Nashville that are so enthralled with our acoustics here. They think it's great.
[Kohlsdorf] The stage also provides first hand proof of theatrical folklore.
[De Heaton] We have the original footlight trough where they lit the stage. It's in the front of the stage. There's a a trough where all the lights were. In 1902, they were gas powered and they gave off a greenish tint. So when you're walking downstage or closer to the front of the stage, you would turn green. And that's where the phrase walking into the limelight came from.
[De Heaton] There's lots of history and a lot of stories here.