Tag: old globe theatre

Photos of San Diego’s Spreckels Theater Building.

The Spreckels Theater Building was erected downtown in 1912.
The Spreckels Theater Building was erected in downtown San Diego in 1912.

I must confess I’ve never seen a show at the historic Spreckels Theatre. I do occasionally sit at a table in the building’s Grand Lobby. On a quiet Saturday I’ll eat lunch and write while watching pedestrians pass down the Broadway sidewalk, just outside the glass doors.

The mixed-use Spreckels Theater Building was built in 1912 and has been a cool sight in downtown San Diego for over a hundred years. While the upper stories are occupied by numerous small offices, the theatre itself was built as a 1,915-seat auditorium with an ornate Baroque interior. Over the decades, the theatre has also served as a vaudeville house and movie palace. Famous performers at the theatre have included Enrico Caruso, John Barrymore, Al Jolson, Will Rogers, and Abbott and Costello. In 1978, when Balboa Park’s famous Old Globe Theatre was destroyed by fire, the Spreckels was used as a temporary stage for the Globe. Today, as a live presentation venue, the Spreckels Theatre attracts many diverse attractions, including concerts, comedy shows, and dance and theatrical productions.

The six-story building, designed by Harrison Albright with influences from the Chicago School style of architecture, was built by philanthropist John D. Spreckels, a name you might have noted elsewhere on my blog. Spreckels was a wealthy sugar heir and leading San Diego entrepreneur. He wanted the building to commemorate the opening of the Panama Canal, much like the Panama-California Exposition, that would be held in Balboa Park in 1915.

Plaque on The Spreckels Building indicates it's an historical site of the City of San Diego.
Plaque on The Spreckels Building indicates it’s an historical site of the City of San Diego.
The Spreckels marquee is a cool fixture on Broadway in San Diego.
The Spreckels marquee is a cool fixture on Broadway in San Diego.
Classic theatrical figures above and beside the marquee.
Classic theatrical figures above and beside the marquee.
Looking up at Spreckels sign.
Looking up at the Spreckels sign.
The polished marble lobby of the Spreckels Theater Building.
The shining, polished onyx Grand Lobby of the Spreckels Theater Building.
Close look at ornate ceiling in the lobby.
Close look at the ornate old ceiling in the Grand Lobby. The building has undergone several restorations over the years, most recently in 2012.
Many-colored light above inside entrance to the historic old theatre.
A Tiffany window depicting Nine Dancing Muses was originally above the theatre’s entry. While stored during World War II due to blackout regulations in the city, the window was stolen. It was replaced in 1985 by this colorful window designed by Yaakov Agam.
Gazing west down Broadway on another sunny day.
Gazing west down Broadway on another sunny day.

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Shakespeare lives at the Old Globe Theatre.

old globe theatre in san diego

Now back to our walk in Balboa Park!

You’re looking at the Old Globe Theatre. It’s modeled after the original Globe Theatre in London, where Shakespeare enjoyed watching many plays that he’d penned. This beloved building is a popular San Diego landmark.

The Tudor-style building was originally constructed in 1935, and was first used for the California Pacific International Exposition to stage Shakespearean plays. In 1978 it was burned down by an arsonist. A nearby festival stage was quickly erected so that performances could go on, then the Old Globe was rebuilt with the generous help of many San Diegans.

Since 1949, The Old Globe has hosted an annual summer Shakespeare Festival. During the summer and winter, the theatre puts on about 15 different shows including modern plays, comedies, musicals and classics.

Many productions that originated here have gone on to Broadway. These shows have won nine Tony Awards and almost 60 nominations!

Karen and Donald Cohn Education Center near Old Globe Theatre.
Karen and Donald Cohn Education Center next to Old Globe Theatre.

Pleasant stroll toward the Old Globe Theatre.

old globe theatre comes into view

Here comes the famous Old Globe Theatre into view! It’s the round Tudor-style building there on the left. More about it in my next blog post…

museum of man and california tower from the east

Turning for a moment to the left, we see the east side of the Museum of Man’s colorful dome and the picturesque California Tower.

a pleasant nook in balboa park

A pleasant nook below with benches. That’s the Craig Noel Garden, named after the Old Globe Theatre’s founding director. This is a great place to take a rest, or read a book!

Water splashes from face in fountain at west end of the Craig Noel Garden.
Water splashes from face in fountain at west end of the Craig Noel Garden.
Plaque explains how Craig Noel helped to found the Old Globe Theatre.
Plaque explains how Craig Noel helped to found the Old Globe Theatre.
Passage by Museum of Man leads back toward El Prado.
Passage by Museum of Man leads back toward El Prado.

Follow me to see Balboa Park’s theatres.

view from el prado of conrad prebys theatre center

Join me as we walk east through Balboa Park. Having passed the Museum of Man, we now turn north to peer through an archway that leads to three of San Diego’s most prominent theatres. They are the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, the outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, and the world-famous, much celebrated Old Globe Theatre. The latter is modeled after the original Globe Theatre in London, where William Shakespeare saw many of his own plays performed. Just a sliver is visible in this photo, on the left.

In the next blog post we will proceed through the archway…

Another pic taken from an archway on the opposite side of El Prado.
Another pic taken from an archway on the opposite side of El Prado.