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| Ariel Theatre 428 Second Ave PO Box 424 Gallipolis, OH 45631  (740)446-2787 josephwright@arieltheatre.org www.arieltheatre.org Google Maps - Yahoo! Maps - MapQuest |  | |
The Historic Ariel Theatre, home to the Ohio Valley Symphony, the sounds of bluegrass, gospel, barbershop and more, is a rare old opera house built in 1895. Just a snap of the fingers confirms the hall's bell-clear acoustic quality, which in its pre-electronic age of construction depended on materials, design and contractor know-how. A beaten path called "the circuit" brought the likes of Will Rogers, Cecil B. DeMille, Sarah Bernhardt and "Dixie" composer Daniel Decatur (Old Dan) Emmett to the stage. But, gradually live shows gave way to moving pictures, became increasingly rare, and died away. In 1963 the last movie was shown and the doors closed. For nearly 25 years resident pigeons, a leaky roof and chronic neglect took their toll, but a local professional musician paying visit noted that in spite of the mess, Ariel's acoustic quality still rang true. The ensuing restoration stands as one of Ohio's finest volunteer efforts. Reopening in 1990, the Ariel received an Historic Preservation Office Preservation Merit Award in 1992 and Ohio Governor's Award in 1995. | ||
