Photograph by Samantha Dittmann
Before St. Louis aldermen approved funding to redevelop the Kiel Opera House in June, the proposal met with some strong resistance from another historic performance venue: the Fabulous Fox. Whether the city can sustain both remains to be seen—but the debate makes for an interesting side-by-side comparison. Here’s a snapshot of how the storied theaters stack up, from famous acts to eye-catching architecture.
Years Built, Shuttered, and Reopened
Fox Theatre: 1929/1978/1982
Kiel Opera House: 1934/1991/2010?
Architectural Style
Fox Theatre: Siamese Byzantine
Kiel Opera House: Classical Revival/Beaux Arts
Original Intended Use
Fox Theatre: Movie house
Kiel Opera House: Opera theater
Notable Acts
Fox Theatre: World premieres of The Trouble With Angels and The Spirit of St. Louis; Liberace, Grateful Dead, Chuck Berry
Kiel Opera House: The Four Tops, Elvis, Frank Sinatra, and the operas La Bohème and Aida
Seating Capacity
Fox Theatre: 4,500
Kiel Opera House: 3,500 in main auditorium; four smaller assembly rooms with additional seating
Redevelopment Cost
Fox Theatre: $2 million from private donors and a $250,000 loan from the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority
Kiel Opera House: $74 million: $16 million of private equity, $28.6 million in tax credits, and $29 million in revenue bonds
