The Trocadero Theatre (opened as the Arch Street Opera House) is a historic theater located in Chinatown in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It offered musical comedies, vaudeville, opera, and burlesque. The Trocadero Theatre was refurbished for use as an art house cinema and fine arts theatre in 1970s, and by the 1990s had become an iconic venue for rock and punk concerts.
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 Interactive map of Trocadero Theatre | |
| Address | 1003 Arch Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania U.S. |
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| Capacity | 1,200 |
Current use | live music venue |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1870 |
| Website | |
| www | |
Arch Street Opera House | |
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| Coordinates | 39°57′12.99″N 75°9′24.74″W / 39.9536083°N 75.1568722°W |
| Area | < 1-acre (4,000 m2) |
| Architect | Edwin Forrest Durang, George W. Plowman |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 78002442[1] |
| Added to NRHP | June 13, 1978[2] |
History
edit19th century
editDesigned by architect Edwin Forrest Durang, it opened as the Arch Street Opera House on August 29, 1870. Despite its name, it operated as a venue not for opera but vaudeville, minstrel shows, and musical comedies. It was renamed the Trocadero Theatre in 1896. At that time it underwent a renovation using a plan by George Plowman.[3]
20th century
edit
It was modified several times, was added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places in 1973, and to the National Register of Historic Places five years later.
The building was known at various time as the Arch Street Opera House (1870–1879); Park Theatre (1879); New Arch Street Opera House (1884); Continental Theatre (1889); Gaiety Theatre (1890); Casino/Palace Theatre (1892), Troc Theatre (1940); Slocum's and Sweatman's Theatre; Sweatman's Arch Street Opera House; Simmon's & Slocum's Theatre; and Simmon's Theatre.[4] It was already referred to as the Trocadero Theater in 1908.[5]
The Trocadero was a burlesque theater from the early 1900s until the 1970s. Burlesque performer Mara Gaye performed here in the 1950s.
The Pennsylvania Opera Theater, in 1982, was presenting three productions a year at the Trocadero.[6]
In 1986, the Trocadero was again remodeled for its current use as a concert hall and dance club. The Trocadero retains a promoting team and books bands directly. It has a capacity of 1,200 patrons (standing room) or 600 patrons (fully seated).
The theater hosted a wide range of events including movie screenings, comedy shows, burlesque, and concerts from alternative, indie rock, heavy metal, punk rock, jam, industrial, gothic bands, and hip hop and electronica artists.[7]
21st century
editGalactic Empire performed at the venue on June 3, 2017 as part of the Wizard World Comic Con.[9]
After several days of rumors and a last-minute attempt by local promoters to save it, Philadelphia's Trocadero Theatre, part of the city's entertainment skyline since 1870, closed in May 2019.[10]
In October 2022, it was announced that Northwest Arch LLC, the group shown to legally own the Trocadero, had applied for and subsequently received a $2.5 million state-issued grant through Pennsylvania's Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. Plans were announced soon thereafter that the theater would be undergoing a "complete renovation of the exterior and interior of the Trocadero building. The end product will be a fully updated first-class concert venue, entertainment space and full-service restaurant." No immediate timeframe was given for commencement or completion of the renovations. As of August 2025, that money has still not been spent.[11]
Recordings and broadcasts
editA concert at the Trocadero was released by Combat Records as Ultimate Revenge 2 in 1989, featuring performances by bands Raven, Death, Forbidden, Dark Angel, and Faith or Fear.
A number of DVD and television specials have been filmed at the Trocadero, including the MTV program 2 Dollar Bill for My Chemical Romance in September 2006, comedian and actor Christian Finnegan's DVD/Comedy Central special Au Contraire in October 2008, comedian and actor Michael Ian Black's DVD/Comedy Central special Very Famous in March 2011, and comedian Dan Soder's Comedy Central special in December 2015.
The Dead Milkmen recorded their live album, Chaos Rules: Live at the Trocadero, at the Troc. In 1991, Tesla had a hit single with the live cover version of the Five Man Electrical Band song "Signs", which was recorded at the Troc.
The Trocadero was the location for Lamb of God's live DVD Killadelphia and for Job for a Cowboy's "Altered From Catechization" music video.
On June 2, 2012, professional wrestling promotion Chikara held the Chikarasaurus Rex: How to Hatch a Dinosaur internet pay-per-view at the Trocadero.[12] Chikara held their next two pay-per-views, Under the Hood on December 2, 2012,[13] and Aniversario: Never Compromise on June 2, 2013, at the venue.[14]
See also
edit
References
edit- ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ↑ William Hershey (February 1978). National Register of Historic Places Registration: Pennsylvania SP Arch Street Opera House. National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved January 3, 2026. (Downloading may be slow.)
- ↑ "Trocadero". The Philadelphia Inquirer. September 1, 2025. p. B3.
- ↑ "Trocadero Theatre". www.philadelphiabuildings.org.
- ↑ "Philadelphia: Trocadero Theater". The Billboard. Google Books. November 21, 1908. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ↑ Rockwell, John (March 18, 1982). "Opera: Pennsylvanians give Haydn's 'Orlando Paladino'". New York Times. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
- ↑ "Billboard - Mar. 15, 1986". March 15, 1986. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
- ↑ "The 1997 US Winter Club Tour".
- ↑ Bingaman, Brian (May 25, 2017). "Wizard World convention has star-studded guest list". Daily Local.
- ↑ "Philadelphia's Iconic Trocadero Theatre to Close, Owner Confirms (EXCLUSIVE)". March 18, 2019.
- ↑ Vadala, Nick (August 31, 2025). "The Trocadero Theatre's reopening has been rumored for years. But its future is unclear". Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Chikarasaurus Rex: How to Hatch a Dinosaur". Chikara. Archived from the original on June 7, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ↑ "Under the Hood". Chikara. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
- ↑ "Aniversario: Never Compromise". Chikara. Archived from the original on May 8, 2013. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
External links
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- Trocadero Theater, Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia
- Information at CinemaTreasures.com
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. PA-1495, "Arch Street Opera House, 1003–1005 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA", 2 photos, 2 photo caption pages
- Trocadero Theatre data from the Philadelphia Architects and Buildings (PAB) project of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia