The famous Memorial Opera House Theater (MOH) has just reopened for business after being temporarily closed for construction. It opened on Friday, September 13, 2024, at its rededication ceremony. The Opera House, built in 1893, has hosted hundreds of shows for the community to admire. It was originally dedicated to soldiers in Porter County who fought in the Civil War but was later dedicated to all of the soldiers of Porter County. The funds for the original MOH were raised by the Women’s Relief Corps and the Grand Army Republic. For the original Opera House, the community worked together to make a piece of history for Porter County. Porter County has done it once again and pitched in to help the MOH revamp its interior.
The MOH is a valued amenity within the Valparaiso community. Many come through the doors to be transported through a world of theater or share events with the community. Four months ago they raised enough money to update and refine the building to restore it to its original beauty and add some additional benefits to the inside.
Ms. Sharp, a teacher at Chesterton High School, has enjoyed MOH for a long time. She has helped out with and seen many productions there since 2000. She enjoyed seeing the elaborate performances that they provided such as Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Evita. She expressed a huge appreciation for the architecture, as well as the history behind the building itself.
“It’s just an absolutely beautiful building. It’s beautiful on the outside and it’s just recently been restored and I haven’t been back in it yet…the restoration, I’ve seen pictures of it and it seems to be very true to the original architecture…so many wonderful things I could say about the opera house,” said Sharp enthusiastically.
The original Opera House is very near and dear to many hearts in the community due to its original purpose. When it was first built in 1893, it was referred to as “The Memorial Hall” and was meant to honor all the veterans of Porter County who fought for the country. The walls of the building encapsulate years and years of memories and history for the patrons of Porter County. All guests can rest assured that the renovations only added to the history instead of taking away from it. Zachary Mullins, Marketing Coordinator at MOH, spoke extremely highly of the updated MOH.
“It was just about elevating the venue to where we think it ought to be for our patrons because a building that was built in 1893 is bound to have some things falling apart sooner or later. And while we love the history and there’s a reason we didn’t change the outside very much, we do want to make sure that we’re providing as, I guess just good as good of an experience for our patrons in our community as possible,” stated Mullins during a radio interview with Chesterton radio station WDSO.
Though theater is a popular interest among the crowd at the MOH, it is not the intended purpose. The name calls attention to the fact that it is not just any old theater. It means much more to the community than that. Besides the fact that it means more to Porter County than calling it a theater, the MOH also wants the public to know that they do not just perform plays. They also have comedy shows, benefits, fundraisers, and even bands that perform there.
Currently, the cast at MOH is finishing up a performance of “Young Frankenstein” and has many more shows and events coming up that they are excited to perform in the refreshed space. Some upcoming shows include: Singing in the Rain, Forever Plaid, the Rocky Horror Show, and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. They also are soon offering Limelight Youth Theater as well as the Penguin Project and a Halloween special event called Phantoms of the Opera House.
Everyone at the Memorial Opera House, located at 104 Indiana Ave, Valparaiso, IN 46383, encourages you to come to see the new and improved interior of the theater!
