Video gives first glimpse of Philly’s Metropolitan Opera House renovations

A new video branding Philly as a city of fighters, underdogs and comebacks, gives the first glimpse of major, multi-million dollar renovations done to the Philadelphia Metropolitan Opera house, which is scheduled to reopen this year.

The Met Philadelphia—the building’s new moniker—sits at the corner of Poplar and Broad streets and has been under renovations for over a year. Developer Eric Blumenfeld signed Live Nation as the main tenant last year and hopes the renovated theater will help revitalize the North Broad corridor.

That revitalization was touched on in a preview video released on the Met Philadelphia’s Youtube channel this week. In a dramatic, booming voice, the narrator paints Philly as a hub of art, passion and determination.

“This is a city of stories. Stories of brotherly love, determination, underdogs, survival,” the voice says as the video includes clips from Rocky and Jason Kelce’s iconic Eagles parade speech (in which he was dressed in true Mummer garb).

“This is one of those stories,” the voice finishes, before flashing up an image of the run-down interior of the building, pre-renovation. Though the video doesn’t show images of the renovations themselves—renderings are all that’s provided—they do show footage of construction crews at work, building, laying bricks, and making final touches to the interior of the building. “Are you ready, Philadelphia?”

Photo by Melissa Romero

The dramatic video is fitting for such a major project, which just got a $56 million loan back in January. Blumenfeld said at the time that the renovations would be impossible to complete without the loan, and predicted a December opening date for the building. The renovations will likely bring the 39,200-square-foot building back to life. It was designed by architect William H. McElfatrick over 100 years ago and opened in 1908. Back then, it was the largest theater of its kind in the world and sat around 4,000 people.

• With $56M loan, Metropolitan Opera House eyes December 2018 return [Curbed Philly]
• Introducing the Met Philadelphia [Youtube]