We snuck in the side door – CAST AND CREW ONLY! – down a hall, around the corner, and suddenly we’re mere feet from making our debut on stage. Doorways and suspension cables towering over our heads to accommodate the sets from trucks straight to stage, the sheer size of this venue was both staggering and exhilarating. Led through a labyrinth of halls connecting 3 buildings, our behind-the-scenes tour quickly felt like a step back through history. From the original theatre and the old candy and soda shop to an ostentatious office of a bank president of yesteryear, we were able to see the true magnitude of the now seamless construction that we know as The Hippodrome Theatre.
Intricate structural details of polished doorknobs and extravagant wood carvings along the walls left us awestruck. Old black and white photos of the theatre showcased its rich history through the years. Views from the balcony highlighted the restoration of beautiful artwork and impressive boxes. Standing on a simple black floor, no costumes, actors, stylized structures blazing in every color behind us, we finally stood onstage. The “ghost light,” palely illuminating all our frantically snapped photos of a view we’d likely never see again – the 2300 empty seats gazing back at us. A feeling of intimacy and closeness rushed over us as the size of the theatre turned into one where you felt connected to the audience, sitting mere feet away from the stage. Seeing as the actors do and the proximity of the seats to the stage gave us chills. For 2300 seats may seem like a lot, but the views onstage and off are incredible. Not a bad seat in the house.
The CCC Maryland team is so grateful to have experienced a backstage and onstage tour of one of Baltimore’s most revered centers of culture and history. An experience we’re not likely to enjoy again, no matter how many of us left the theater dreaming of performing onstage. We stepped off stage and out of the theater, all discussion turned toward the upcoming shows we now have to attend!
With the overwhelming phenomenon that is Hamilton sweeping the Broadway scene, our local venue for premier shows has seen ticket sales skyrocket in a way largely unparalleled in its entire history. The Hippodrome is thrilled to present Hamilton next year, and subscription sales soared in anticipation of securing seats to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s latest hit. With so many subscriptions sold, the amount of single tickets available to theatre-goers is surprisingly few – luckily for you, Charm City Concierge’s exclusive tickets to the following shows will be available as supplies last.
Les Miserables – Saturday, October 13, 8pm
Fiddler on the Roof – Friday, November 16, 8pm
Anastasia – Friday, December 7, 8pm
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Friday, January 25, 2019, 8pm
The King and I – Friday, February 22, 2019, 8pm
The Book of Mormon – Saturday, April 6, 2019, 8pm AND Sunday, April 7, 2019, 1pm
Come From Away – Friday, April 26, 2019, 8pm
Contact your concierge today to snag yours – and we’ll see you at the Hippodrome next season!
Author: Stephanie T.