The southeast Iowa city of Keokuk plans a grand celebration later this week to mark the centennial of its Grand Theatre. Dianne Stanley, the theater’s manager, says it was built to replace the Keokuk Opera House, which dated back to 1880.
“In 1923, on December 7th, it burnt to the ground right after a production,” Stanley says, “and the businessmen in this town decided that we had to have a big, live theater in Keokuk, and so by January of ’25, it was built.”
Stanley says there have been a few times through the past decades when people talked about tearing down the Grand Theatre, but city leaders and others always raised the money to keep it open.
“A lot of people have dedicated large portions of their lives and pocketbooks in order to keep it as beautiful as it is,” she says.
The art deco-style theater seats 753 people and has a double balcony, massive chandeliers, and a total of ten dressing rooms. In addition to live theater, it was a movie theater for many years, while it’s also been used for weddings and even hearings before the Iowa Supreme Court.
When it opened, the Grand had the largest stage in the U.S. west of the Mississippi River. Stanley was asked why the stage was so big.
“I don’t know — because they could,” she laughs. “I wasn’t there for the decision-making in 1924 so I don’t know.”
The ribbon-cutting is Friday at 6 PM, with performances of a show called “100 Years of Love” scheduled for Friday and Saturday nights, and Sunday afternoon. The show will feature music and dance numbers highlighting each decade in the life of the 100-year old Grand, all done with local talent.
