Cass detroit

For its trouble, Stair gave the board free space in the newspaper's offices across the street during the renovation, and the group also had access to the auditorium when a production wasn't using the stage. The Cass was the first theater built specifically for legitimate productions in the city since the dawn of the century. All others had been built before or were built for purposes other than handling touring theater productions.

Moreover, the Detroit News wrote in September , "the new theater serves to emphasize the increasing importance of Lafayette Boulevard as a center of business, amusement and culture. The Cass opened Sept. One of the more impressive aspects of the renovation is that few structural changes were made to the building other than the floors added to the top of it. The walls were mostly left intact and the marble stairways untouched.

The original Board of Commerce entrance on Washington Boulevard became the main entrance to the theater; the office building had a separate entrance. Club Woman magazine had a play-by-play of a visit to the Cass in its September issue: "After crossing the foyer and entering the passage leading to the main auditorium, one is surprised to find he has burst into the very heart of the theatre, for instead of entering the rear of the auditorium, the passage leads to the center of the orchestra.

There were five boxes on either side of the auditorium. Its ceiling was tinted pale green with gold accents. The tapestries featured a rose brocade. The walls were covered in walnut paneling — as were the lobby, corridors and the vestibule.

The dressing rooms were built in tiers. The Free Press wrote that the Cass' decor was more dignified than gorgeous. Still, it was a "playhouse as dignified as it is beautiful, planned with a view affording patrons every comfort. The auditorium featured wide aisles and a stadium style with a sharp elevation that gave "full visibility in the farthest reaches which is the equal of that afforded in the front of the house," the paper said.

It sat 1,, including in the boxes and balcony. At the same time, a reminder might be necessary that the Cass and Free Press were owned by the same man. The answer: It was named for the man, not the thoroughfare. Stair was arguably one of the biggest fans around of Michigan's most distinguished statesman, Lewis Cass.

Cass was governor of the Michigan territory from ; President Andrew Jackson's secretary of war; secretary of state for President James Buchanan; the Democratic Party's presidential candidate in ; and a minster to France. Stair reportedly told friends that he thought Cass was one of the greatest Americans who ever lived and contributed the most to the development of Michigan and Detroit.

He even had an oil painting of the general hanging above his desk at the top of the Free Press Building. The publisher also had sculptor Corrado Parducci include Cass' visage in the bas reliefs dotting the newspaper building. Its golden era was the s to s, with the theater hopping for 48 weeks in Made by formerly homeless people of Detroit, our caffeine-free, sugar-free, and gluten-free loose leaf herbal teas are sure to make you feel healthy while supporting a better Detroit.

Contact Rev. Sue at spethoud casscommunity. Cass began creating jobs for people with significant barriers to employment during the recession of I felt their being as good as they are, us making some mistakes, is why it got so out of hand. Friday tussle. Can we remain humble? Muskegon-area high school football scoreboard for Sept. Muskegon-area football highlights Sept.

Oakridge football players big and small rise to challenge in key league victory at Whitehall. Reigning Division 6 football champ Montague gets back on track vs. North Muskegon. Confident Hart football team makes statement vs. Kent City, for first time since Cass Community Social Services has begun a unique drive. We are creating a comprehensive Tools Library and would like donations of any kind of used or new tool. Cass also needs volunteers to help setup their Tools Library Contact Sue Pethoud at ext.

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