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Colorado Vignette - Ellie Caulkins Opera House

The historic shell of the Newton Auditorium, built in 1908, still stands, but the old Auditorium Theatre inside has been demolished. The world-class 2,278 seat Ellie Caulkins Opera House “the Ellie” is now coming to life inside the old Auditorium. The new Opera House is anticipated to be one of the finest facilities of its kind worldwide. This lyric jewel will complete the Denver Performing Arts Complex by providing a first-class, natural acoustical home for opera, ballet and chorales. The Ellie Caulkins Opera House is designed to attract the world’s top artists to Denver and make their performances magical. This venue will influence the arts in Denver for many generations. In addition to the “Ellie”, the Newton Auditorium houses the Chambers Grant Salon that will feature a first-class restaurant and will host private receptions.

Shortly after the Newton Auditorium’s opening in 1908, the exterior of the building was aglow with thousands of lights and it was part of the booming theatre district on Curtis Street. Thomas Edison was quoted as referring to this area as “the brightest street in the world.”

Over its ninety-seven year history, the Newton Auditorium and the surrounding vicinity have gone through ups and downs, experiencing pockets of renovation and periods of decline. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Denver Landmark List in 1992, the Auditorium serves as the front door to the Denver Performing Arts Complex, which is the largest arts complex in the world, featuring ten performance spaces connected by an 80 foot tall glass roof. The complex is a fourblock, 12 acre site that is home to a Tony Award-winning theatre company, Broadway touring productions, contemporary dance and ballet, magnificent chorales, a major symphony orchestra, and an internationally acclaimed opera. The renovation of the Newton Auditorium and addition of the Ellie Caulkins Opera House as a destination attraction at the Denver Performing Arts Complex will continue to raise the level of excellence in this area of downtown Denver.

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