Live Nation released a sizzle video Tuesday (May 22) to promote the reopening of the Metropolitan Opera House in Philadelphia. The video shows the extensive $56 million renovations being made on the block-long facility that was originally built in 1908 by Oscar Hammerstein.
The minute-long promo showcases the city’s rich history and closes with the question “Are you ready, Philadelphia?” Rebranded as The Met Philly, the restored venue is set to reopen in December on North Broad Street.
The “Showtime Redefined” video coincides with the launch of the venue’s social media pages and website.
The Met Philly’s restoration is a partnership between builder Eric Blumenfeld, Holy Ghost Headquarters and Live Nation, who will manage the 3,500-capacity venue.
“It was an opera house. It was a movie theater. They played basketball on the stage at one point,” Geoff Gordon regional president of Live Nation told Billboard last year. “It’s going be pretty remarkable once they complete the renovation. Developer Eric Blumenfeld does A-class work and he’s committed more to this because it’s also a piece of a puzzle of North Broad. It will really make the area light up.”
Live Nation and its partners plan to make The Met Philly the crown jewel of North Broad Street’s renaissance by redeveloping the building while staying true to its original form.
“The story of the Met coming back to life is the story of the growth of Philadelphia in the last decade,” Gordon said in May of 2017. “Philadelphia’s hot right now and Philadelphia is a great music and concert town. We’re just trying to always bring great experiences for people that want to come out and see our shows.”