9 Secrets You Never Knew About the Portsmouth Music Hall

(Above image) © Michael Winters, courtesy of The Music Hall

You may be familiar with The Music Hall as an iconic Portsmouth, New Hampshire landmark, but how well do you really know this 1878 performing arts space?

When Zhana Morris was first hired as the production manager for The Music Hall in 1997, she didn’t realize that, in a short time, she would also tack “historian” onto her title. “We were at a point where we [The Friends of The Music Hall] were starting to get serious about fully restoring the theater, which had always been a part of the mission ever since we took over in 1987,” she said. “That meant, we really needed to look at the venue’s past, and, as a lover of history, that was a natural task for me.”

And, boy – after delving into archives at the Portsmouth Athenaeum, scouring old newspapers on the microfiche at the local library, and absorbing insights from fellow local historians – what a history she was able to piece together…one that not only debunked many long-held beliefs but also unearthed intriguing new discoveries. Here’s a roundup of the historical highlights that are lesser-known, including the truth about Houdini, the ship-like stage rigging, and why the fantastical lower-level lobby looks the way it does.

1. TECHNICALLY, ITS LIFE BEGAN IN 1803 AS A BAPTIST MEETING HOUSE

Yes, it’s correct that the structure you see standing before you today was built in 1878. But what was located on the site pre-dating the current structure was another 1803 venue originally built as a Baptist church that, in 1845, was converted into an amphitheater-style lyceum known as “The Temple.” So if and when you hear that such speakers as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Frederick Douglas lectured on The Music Hall stage (Emerson in 1850 and Douglas in 1862), technically, it was really the stage in the building predating the beloved 1878 venue.

2. THE 1878 THEATER OPERATED LIKE A SHIP – AND STILL DOES TO THIS DAY

Bankrolled by a wealthy Portsmouth family, The Music Hall was constructed and opened in 1878 after The Temple theater burned down in 1876. As the town’s first purpose-built theater, The Music Hall featured a backstage rigging system (to hoist curtains, move scenery, etc.) similar to that used on boats. While it’s rumored that this is because shipwrights from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard built the theater, Morris can’t confirm that: “Theater has long been rooted in nautical traditions, using similar technology and terminology, so it’s not unusual that it was built this way. We can’t pin it on local shipwrights.” What is unique, however, is that The Music Hall still operates today using this same rope, pully, and sandbag counterweight system, making it one of the last remaining theaters of its kind in the country.

3. BEER BARON FRANK JONES IS THE ONE WHO TRULY MADE IT GRAND

It wasn’t until Frank Jones – a Portsmouth politician and ale tycoon – bought the theater and remodeled it between 1899 and 1901 that it became the lavish and ornate building it’s known for today. That included an upgraded rigging system that soared 75 feet high, as well as the addition of the ornate gold-leafed proscenium stage and decorative opera boxes, which nicely complemented the beautifully painted domed ceiling that was already there. The result? One of the finest venues outside of Boston. Which is why it was such a shame when in 1945, under a different owner, the entire structure was painted all white, covering up all the Gilded-Era details (don’t worry, if you’re familiar with The Music Hall today, you know all that paint was painstakingly removed in the early 2000s).

4. HOUDINI DIDN’T PERFORM HERE, BUT A WHOLE HOST OF HISTORICAL NOTABLES DID

A perfect example of something Morris’s research disproved: The Music Hall did not host Houdini, when the opposite (having been publicized in modern-day print) is widely believed. “Every historical theater wants to be able to say the legendary magician took their stage,” she said. “But there’s not a shred of evidence he did at The Music Hall.”

That said, you certainly can’t discount the other noteworthy names who have taken the stage. That includes those who are still household names, like Mark Twain and Irving Berlin, but also those who were major celebrities back in their day. Folks like Thomas Keene, a major Shakespearian actor; The Barrymores, a traveling acting family (yes, Drew Barrymore is a descendant); and, one of Morris’s favorites, actress Maude Adams. “Had she been born 30 years later, she would have been Shirley Temple,” says Morris. “She was widely famous by age 6 and went on to play Peter Pan in its original 1905 adaptation on Broadway.”

5. IT WAS RENAMED…TWICE

While the venue premiered as “Music Hall” in 1878, it was renamed to “Portsmouth Theater Company” between the years of 1902 and 1945. The next owner, who bought the theater in 1945 for just $10,000, transformed it into a movie house, painted it entirely white, and renamed it “The Civic.” It would remain under that name into the 1980s, until the non-profit Friends of The Music Hall took it over and restored its original name.

6. IT ALSO ALMOST BECAME CONDOS…TWICE

During its stint as The Civic, the venue fell out of favor among locals (competition was steep with three other Portsmouth movie theaters). As a result, the building started to become run down and was eventually bought by local developers in the early 1980s who planned to take the wrecking ball to it to build condos in its place. “The story is that they came in one night, pulled up a couple of floorboards, and uncovered the original tile,” says Morris. “After spending the rest of the night chipping away at paint and peeking behind boarded-up areas, they realized what a gem they had and emerged in the morning with the plan to revitalize it and reopen it as a theater.” While they brought the building up to code and reopened, it still wasn’t a viable endeavor for them, so in the mid-’80s, The Music Hall faced the wrecking ball yet again. “This is when members of the community formed The Friends of The Music Hall and struck a deal with the developer: He was willing to sell it to them for a deal but only if they could raise the funds by a certain date,” says Morris. “And they did. In September of 1988.”

7. THE FANCIFUL LOWER LOBBY IS INTENDED TO BE A DESIGN DEPARTURE FOR A REASON

The Friends of The Music Hall eventually went on to the launch a multi-million-dollar capital campaign in 2006 that resulted in the restoration of its Gilded-Era details, including the proscenium arch and the storied dome anchored by a show-stopping crystal chandelier. It also ushered in a totally new space: The fantastical lower lobby, which, after the removal of 700 cubic feet of rock ledge, was designed to resemble something of a forest-like wonderland with cast bronze trees, branches and vines, gilded Corinthian columns, elegant velvet settees, and a concession stand with illuminated bubbles.

While incorporating Beaux Arts-era elements (the era when The Music Hall was built), it’s quite a departure from the original historic look – and that’s very intentional. “As part of our designation as a historic building, we are guided by certain standards from the Secretary of the Interior that require that new spaces must be different from the historic look,” explains Morris. “The ‘evolution of change’ must be obvious, so, in the future, it’s not mistaken to be an original part of the building.” Either way, it’s one of the coolest spaces you’ll see on the Seacoast (even the bathrooms are lauded).

8. YOU’LL SEE SO MANY NODS TO HISTORY TODAY…IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO LOOK

Beyond being based in a restored historic building, there are other details that pay homage to the history in unique ways that aren’t always obvious. For example, in the second-level concessions, there is old snack packaging and movie reels from the property set behind glass – the earliest being a candy box from the 1880s. Downstairs, as you walk up the staircase to the main theater on the southern side of the building, you’ll see an intentionally untouched piece of wall paster with a doodle of a pirate. “We think he was most likely painted on the wet paster as it was drying as late as 1945 before the wallpaper covered him up,” says Morris. “Sometime, around 2000, when restorationists were scraping away some peeling paint and doing touch ups, they uncovered him, so we decided to keep him exposed.”

Then, the custom wallpaper in the lower-level lobby is actually comprised of scans of old playbills, tickets, and archival photographs dating back to 1878. It’s here you’ll see a billboard-size photograph of the late Jay Smith, a Portsmouth local who secretly donated a substantial amount of money to The Music Hall in the late 1980s, saving it – at the last minute – from the final wrecking ball (it wasn’t until his death in 2002 that his generous donation became known).

9. A BRAND-NEW MUSIC HALL VENUE OPENED IN SPRING 2024

In 2011, the historic 900-seat Music Hall theater expanded to offer a neighboring, intimate lounge space located just around the corner on Congress Street. Known as The Lounge, it hosts live music and comedy in its 100-seat nightclub-like setting.

Now, The Music Hall just opened a third venue: their new Members Club. Located just next door to the historic theater and accessible through a pass-through, the newly renovated Congress Street-based venue evokes a speakeasy-style vibe, where members can mingle over drinks before, during, and after shows. Opal Collection is a sponsor of the new space, so, within the club, you’ll see a room named after our nearby New Castle, New Hampshire hotel – Wentworth by the Sea. Guests of Wentworth are also given exclusive access to this new members-only speakeasy-style lounge with a free day pass (just stop at the concierge desk to pick one up).

Not a Music Hall member? With the purchase of a day pass, you’ll not only access this stunning new space, but what is now the latest chapter in Music Hall history.