Editing Metropolitan Opera House (section)

== Performance History ==

The Metropolitan Opera House opened with a performance by the Philadelphia-Chicago Grand Opera Company, beginning an association with opera that gave the building its name though not its exclusive function. Oscar Hammerstein I, the impresario grandfather of the famous lyricist, conceived the venue as competition to the Academy of Music downtown, seeking to establish North Broad Street as a rival cultural destination. Opera performances continued intermittently, though the building's enormous capacity made it more suitable for popular entertainment than for the relatively small audiences that supported opera.<ref name="glazer"/>

Vaudeville, concerts, and other popular entertainment occupied the Metropolitan during much of the twentieth century, with performers including the Marx Brothers, Enrico Caruso, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and countless others appearing on its stage. The building's size made it appropriate for events requiring large audiences, though this same scale created economic challenges as entertainment patterns changed. The Metropolitan's history reflects the broader evolution of American popular entertainment, from vaudeville through rock concerts to contemporary performances.<ref name="gallery"/>