Landmark Theater

Richmond Times-Dispatch Archives

Published: September 21, 2008

Richmond's Landmark Theater: 6 N. Laurel Street in the middle of Virginia Commonwealth University's Monroe Park Campus. Formerly The Mosque, this theater was built in 1926 by Shriners as their ACCA Temple Shrine. The city bought it in 1940, and a 1994-95 renovation restored the splendor of the gilded walls and elaborate decor. Group tours by appointment. Call 646-0546

HISTORY
Richmond's Landmark Theater cost $1.65 million to build, was bought by the city for $200,000 in 1940 and a partial restoration and renovation was completed in 1995 for $5.4 million. Built by ACCA Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, as its headquarters and convention center overlooking Monroe Park, the Mosque contained the most elaborate and, with approximately 4,600 seats, the largest theater ever built in Richmond.

ENTRANCES, EXITS AND ENCORES
• 1922: ACCA Temple commissions designs for its dream palace.
• 1925: Third and final design approved.
• Feb. 27, 1926: Ground broken at Laurel and Main streets.
• Oct. 28, 1927: Contralto Ernestine Schumann-Heink, 66, opens building with concert at end of fabled operatic career.
• Oct. 29, 1927: Mosque opens first regular entertainment season with "All That Night," a film starring Reginald Denny, and vaudeville acts.
• Jan. 9, 1928: Shriners dedicate Mosque, completed at a cost of $1.65 million.
• Feb. 20, 1928: "Ziegfeld Follies" opens.

• April 28-30, 1930: Touring Metropolitan Opera Company presents "La traviata," "Aida," "Tales of Hoffmann" and "L'Elisir d'Amore."
• March 9, 1931: Ethel Barrymore stars in "The Love Duel."
• June 8-9, 1931: Richmond dancer Bill Robinson stars in touring "Brown Buddies."
• Dec. 28, 1931: Maude Adams, legendary as the stage's Peter Pan, plays Portia to Otis Skinner's Shylock in "The Merchant of Venice."
• Feb. 9, 1934: Composer-pianist George Gershwin plays with Leo Reisman's Orchestra, premiering "I Got Rhythm" Concert Suite.
• 1935: Financially strapped ACCA Temple forfeits mortgage to lender, the New York Life Insurance Co.
• Jan. 11, 1936: Fan dancer Sally Rand appears in "All-Star Broadway Revue."
• Oct. 15, 1937: Traffic jams as Kirsten Flagstad, Norwegian soprano famed for singing Wagner's Brunhilde, performs.
• Dec. 7, 1937: Pianist-composer Sergei Rachmaninoff plays recital of Liszt, Bach, Chopin, Debussy ... and Rachmaninoff.

• March 29, 1940: City buys Mosque from New York Life Insurance Co. for $200,000, which is $375,000 less than asking price the year before.
• Feb. 14, 1943: Building becomes headquarters for anti-aircraft command during World War II.
• 1943: Move on City Council to change name to "Richmond Civic Center" fails.

• Feb. 2, 1950: Soprano Margaret Truman, the president's daughter, sings.
• April 19, 1950: Arturo Toscanini and his NBC Symphony Orchestra, on cross-country concert tour, perform to packed house.
• May 11, 1953: Louis Jordan and the Tympany Five jump from dances to Mosque stage.
• July 2, 1956: Elvis Presley makes his Richmond debut.
• Feb. 24, 1957: "Birdland Stars of '57" tour brings Billy Eckstine, Sarah Vaughan, Lester "Prez" Young, Count Basie and newcomer Phineas Newborn Jr.
• Oct. 28, 1957: Edgar Schenkman conducts Richmond Symphony in its debut concert before more than 4,000 patrons.
• Nov. 24, 1957.: Fats Domino, LaVern Baker, Clyde McPhatter, Frankie Lymon, Chuck Berry, the Everly Brothers, Paul Anka and Eddie Cochran are "The Biggest Show of Stars '57."

• July 17, 1963: Mosque condemned because of electrical problems, prompting electrical renovation.
• Jan. 25, 1964: Address by NBC Nightly News co-anchor Chet Huntley marks Richmond Forum's move to auditorium after 30 years in other locations.
• 1966: First major renovation begins; five-year project costs $1.5 million.
• May 22, 1967: Carol Channing opens sold-out week and earns standing ovations in title role in "Hello, Dolly."
• July 23, 1968: Pete Townshend breaks his guitar with The Who.
• Aug. 20, 1968: Jimi Hendrix and the Experience play two shows.
• Aug. 31, 1968: Mosque welcomes gowned and gloved Supremes.
• Nov. 6, 1968: Orchestre de Paris plays Berlioz's "Symphonie fantastique" in memory of its conductor, Charles Munch, who died of heart attack earlier that day at The Jefferson Hotel.
• Nov. 20, 1969: Sly Stone urges the crowd to "Stand!" They do, dancing on newly reupholstered seats.
• Dec. 7, 1969: James Brown. Mashed Potato Part 1.

• Nov. 14, 1971: James Brown. Mashed Potato Part 2.
• Jan. 25, 1974: After playing local gyms, parking lots and Monroe Park, Bruce Springsteen makes it to the Mosque.

• Halloween 1981: Fans are thrown from the stage and hit by flying bottles during raging punk show by Iggy Pop in the ballroom.
• Dec. 14, 1984: Richmond Ballet's professional company unveils spectacular new production of "The Nutcracker."
• Feb. 10, 1987: "Cats" plays in sold-out one-week run.

• Feb. 6, 1990: Mammoth "Les Miserables" opens a week's run to huge crowds.
• March 6, 1994: Crooner Frank Sinatra collapses before packed house, is rushed to MCV Hospitals, discharges himself after two hours and returns to California in his private jet.
• July 31, 1994: City officially closes building.
• Oct. 10, 1994: $5.4 million restoration and renovation begins.
• Sept. 18, 1995: Building officially "unnamed" with removal of Mosque sign from marquee; transitional name, Richmond's Landmark Theater, unveiled in brief ceremony.
• Oct. 28, 1995: Reopens with 10:30 a.m. re-dedication ceremony in auditorium.