Ford's Grand Opera House was a major music venue in Baltimore, Maryland, located between Lexington and Marion Steets, just east of Eutaw Street. It was founded by theatre manager John T. Ford (also the owner of Ford's Theatre) and designed by architect James J. Gifford. The opera house opened to the public on October 2, 1871 with a show that included readings from Shakespeare's As You Like It as well as vocal and orchestral performances.
The opera house was later the site of Horace Greely's nomination as the Liberal Republican Party candidate for the 1872 U.S. presidential election.
Famous quotes containing the words opera house, ford, grand, opera and/or house:
“The opera house sparkled with tiers
And tiers of eyes, like mine enlarged by belladonna,”
—James Merrill (b. 1926)
“History and experience tell us that moral progress comes not in comfortable and complacent times, but out of trial and confusion.”
—Gerald R. Ford (b. 1913)
“Unpretending mediocrity is good, and genius is glorious; but a weak flavor of genius in an essentially common person is detestable. It spoils the grand neutrality of a commonplace character, as the rinsings of an unwashed wine-glass spoil a draught of fair water.”
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809–1894)
“If music in general is an imitation of history, opera in particular is an imitation of human willfulness; it is rooted in the fact that we not only have feelings but insist upon having them at whatever cost to ourselves.... The quality common to all the great operatic roles, e.g., Don Giovanni, Norma, Lucia, Tristan, Isolde, Brünnhilde, is that each of them is a passionate and willful state of being. In real life they would all be bores, even Don Giovanni.”
—W.H. (Wystan Hugh)
“A country without bordels is like a house without bathrooms.”
—Marlene Dietrich (1904–1992)