Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and Mayor Vincent Gray are scheduled to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated Howard Theatre on April 9 that includes a community day.
Howard Theatre will be open to the public, offering live entertainment, tours and an unveiling of a Duke Ellington statue nearby.
The landmark theater at 620 T St. NW once helped launched the careers of Ella Fitzgerald and Marvin Gaye. It opened as a first-of-its-kind showcase for black artists in 1910, but has been closed since the 1980s.
Now the 100-year-old space will celebrate its reopening with a star-studded lineup. The restoration has been underway since September 2010.
Highlights of the new Howard's schedule include:
- Wale, April 9
- Comedian Wanda Sykes, April 13-15
- The Roots, April 15-16
- Bad Brains and GZA, April 20
- Chuck Brown, April 21
- Chuch Berry, April 28
- Chaka Khan, May 5
- Esperanza Spalding, May 12
- Jerry Lee Lewis, May 18
Most ticket prices for shows fall at $35 or under, although certain events will be more -- for instance, Chaka Khan ($75), the Roots ($55) and Wanda Sykes ($95). Tickets will be available online beginning Feb. 27 at 10 a.m. online here.
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