[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 39 (Tuesday, March 5, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S2209]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING THE KIEL OPERA HOUSE

 Mr. SCHMITT. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the Kiel 
Opera House, now known as the Stifel Theatre, for 90 years of 
professional entertainment and creativity.
  In 1917, Mayor Henry Kiel, opera impresario Guy Golterman, and Parks 
Commissioner Nelson Cunliff committed to building a civic opera house 
in downtown St. Louis that would rival those of Europe. Citizens of St. 
Louis passed the 1923 bond issue to improve the infrastructure of St. 
Louis, including the creation of the Municipal Auditorium complex on 
Market Street with the opera house and large auditorium as the 
centerpiece. The Municipal Auditorium was inaugurated in April 1934, 
opening with 61 shows, concerts, operas, and special events.
  Kiel Opera House served admirably for five decades. In its early 
years, the theatre was home to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and 
celebrities like Rex Harrison and Jose Ferrer. Between the 1950s and 
1980s, stars like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Cash, Tony 
Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones 
and others graced the stage.
  In October 2011, after nearly 20 years vacant, the Kiel Opera House 
was restored. Its economic strength inspired community leaders and 
catalyzed 13 years of development and redevelopment across Missouri 
from Market West to Jefferson and north to Washington.
  The Kiel Opera House is a historic gemstone that highlights St. 
Louis's commitment to the arts, and I hope it continues to be a 
treasured host of the arts for years to come.

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