Trocadero Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Trocadero Theatre, opened as the Arch Street Opera House in 1870, is a historic theater, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. Over the years, it has offered musical comedies, vaudeville
and burlesque
. Burlesque performer Mara Gaye
performed at the Troc in the 1950s. Later still, "The Troc" was refurbished for use as an art house cinema and fine arts theatre.
It is located at 1003 Arch Street, in Center City Philadelphia, located within two blocks of other attractions and key locations in Center City, including Chinatown
, the Pennsylvania Convention Center
, Reading Terminal Market
, the Gallery at Market East, SEPTA's Market East Station, and the Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal
. 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. The theater, designed by architect Edwin Forrest Durang
, then 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.
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. The theater usually books lesser-known heavy metal
, punk rock
, ska
, and industrial
/gothic
bands. Hip hop
groups have also made appearances there, as have rock and roll
bands. It was also featured on the MTV
program 2 Dollar Bill when My Chemical Romance was on it. The Dead Milkmen
recorded their live album Chaos Rules at the Troc. Tesla had a hit single in 1991 with the live cover version of the Five Man Electrical Band song "Signs" which was recorded at the Troc.
A variety of local bands have also played the venue, including Zasz, The New Bolsheviks, Kill Your Romeo, Super Consumers,
Black Dragon, Ghost Town Locals, mewithoutYou, Mongrel Mix, Tearher, Mourning Electra, Girls! Girls! Girls!, Beyond the Element, 9:18, Young Werewolves, Blank Generation, Back Seat Riot and dozens of others. The Trocadero was also the location for Lamb of God
's live DVD, Killadelphia
and Job for a Cowboy
's "Altered From Catechization" music video.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Over the years, it has offered musical comedies, vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
and burlesque
American burlesque
American Burlesque is a genre of variety show. Derived from elements of Victorian burlesque, music hall and minstrel shows, burlesque shows in America became popular in the 1860s and evolved to feature ribald comedy and female striptease...
. Burlesque performer Mara Gaye
Mara Gaye
Mara Gaye , born Marjorie Helen Ginsberg in Bronx, New York, was a professional showgirl, dancer with the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes , and exotic burlesque striptease dancer of the 1940s through the 1960s...
performed at the Troc in the 1950s. Later still, "The Troc" was refurbished for use as an art house cinema and fine arts theatre.
It is located at 1003 Arch Street, in Center City Philadelphia, located within two blocks of other attractions and key locations in Center City, including Chinatown
Chinatown, Philadelphia
Philadelphia Chinatown is a predominantly Asian American neighborhood located within the Center City district in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
, the Pennsylvania Convention Center
Pennsylvania Convention Center
The Pennsylvania Convention Center is a multi-use public facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which is designed to accommodate conventions, exhibitions, conferences and other events.-History:...
, Reading Terminal Market
Reading Terminal Market
Reading Terminal Market is an enclosed public market found at 12th and Arch Streets in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Over one hundred merchants offer fresh produce, meats, fish, groceries, ice cream, flowers, baked goods, crafts, books, clothing, and specialty and ethnic foods...
, the Gallery at Market East, SEPTA's Market East Station, and the Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal
Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal
The Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal is the primary intercity bus station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is located at 1001 Filbert Street in Center City Philadelphia, immediately north of The Gallery at Market East shopping mall and the SEPTA Market East Station, a few hundred feet east of the...
. 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. The theater, designed by architect Edwin Forrest Durang
Edwin Forrest Durang
Edwin Forrest Durang was an American architect. He kept offices in Philadelphia and specialized in ecclesiastical and theatrical design.Durang was born in New York, into a distinguished theatrical family...
, then modified several times, was added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places in 1973, and to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
five years later.
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. The theater usually books lesser-known heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, and industrial
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
/gothic
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
bands. Hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
groups have also made appearances there, as have rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
bands. It was also featured on the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
program 2 Dollar Bill when My Chemical Romance was on it. The Dead Milkmen
Dead Milkmen
The Dead Milkmen is an American satirical punk rock band formed in 1983 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They consisted of vocalist and keyboardist Rodney Linderman , guitarist and vocalist Joe Genaro , bassist Dave Schulthise and drummer Dean Sabatino .Beginning within the local underground...
recorded their live album Chaos Rules at the Troc. Tesla had a hit single in 1991 with the live cover version of the Five Man Electrical Band song "Signs" which was recorded at the Troc.
A variety of local bands have also played the venue, including Zasz, The New Bolsheviks, Kill Your Romeo, Super Consumers,
Black Dragon, Ghost Town Locals, mewithoutYou, Mongrel Mix, Tearher, Mourning Electra, Girls! Girls! Girls!, Beyond the Element, 9:18, Young Werewolves, Blank Generation, Back Seat Riot and dozens of others. The Trocadero was also the location for Lamb of God
Lamb of God (band)
Lamb of God is an American heavy metal band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1994, the group consists of vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, bassist John Campbell, and drummer Chris Adler...
's live DVD, Killadelphia
Killadelphia (DVD)
Killadelphia is a 2005 live DVD from US metal band Lamb of God, released on Epic Records and shot and directed by Doug Spangenberg. It consists of footage filmed during the band's two gigs at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia on October 16 and 17 of 2004, hence the pun title of the DVD...
and Job for a Cowboy
Job for a Cowboy
Job for a Cowboy is a American death metal band from Glendale, Arizona. Formed in 2003, the band's debut album Genesis was released in 2007, peaking at #54 on the US Billboard 200 and selling 13,000 copies in its first week of release. The second album, 2009's Ruination, sold 10,600 copies in...
's "Altered From Catechization" music video.
External links
- Official site
- Information at CinemaTreasures.com
- Historic photographs at Philadelphia Architects and Buildings
- Listing and photographs at the Historic American Buildings SurveyHistoric American Buildings SurveyThe Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...