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Morris Performing Arts Center, South Bend

4.5
#10 of 36 in Things to do in South Bend
Theater · Concert / Show
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Morris Performing Arts Center (originally Palace Theatre and formerly Morris Civic Auditorium) is a 2,564-seat concert hall located in South Bend, Indiana. It opened in 1922 as a vaudeville house and later became a movie palace. It was developed along with the neighboring Palais Royale Building by the Palace Theater Corporation. It is a four- to five-story, rectangular, Spanish Renaissance Revival style brick building with finely crafted terra cotta ornamentation. It was planned for demolition in 1959 but was saved from demolition, and between 1998 and 2000, it was restored and remodeled.: 51 
Today, Morris Performing Arts Center's interior features a rose, blue and cream color scheme, as it originally did when it opened. The theater's stage, which measures 56 feet by 57 feet and contains a red and gold main curtain, dates from the 2000 restoration. The theater is home to the South Bend Symphony Orchestra and also hosts Broadway shows, concerts, and other special events, including Marian High School's annual commencement ceremony. The theater's interior is notable for borrowing from European architectural styles.

More than half of the seats at Morris Performing Arts Center — 1,282 are in the balcony. The remainder of the seats are in the lower level.

In 1985, the center was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It qualified for historic designation both because of its place in the area's history and because of its historically significant architecture.
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Morris Performing Arts Center reviews

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TripAdvisor traveler rating
TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
130 reviews
Google
4.7
TripAdvisor
  • We have season tickets to the South Bend Theater League shows. The renovated seats are more comfortable and the addition of cup holders is wonderful. Looking forward to further renovations... 
    We have season tickets to the South Bend Theater League shows. The renovated seats are more comfortable and the addition of cup holders is wonderful. Looking forward to further renovations...  more »
  • We saw Lion King this afternoon. Wonderful musical with amazing costumes, music, and scenery. We have been here many times over the years and highly recommend this theater. 
    We saw Lion King this afternoon. Wonderful musical with amazing costumes, music, and scenery. We have been here many times over the years and highly recommend this theater.  more »
Google
  • We took our daughters to see the Nutcracker in December and the whole experience was spectacular! The lobby was beautifully decorated with Christmas adornments. It was also spacious. The bathrooms clean. The staff was friendly, professional and helpful- always smiling! The seating is great! We sat in the middle front section. The play was amazing! My 4 and 5 year old loved it! I would recommend for anyone to come and enjoy the arts and theatre at this location!
  • Wonderful friendly 😊 ushers showed us to our seats in first balcony. Excellent atmosphere and enjoyed the performance Come From Away. I recommend this place, very elegant and clean. Performance was beyond expectations....detailed story of 9/11 episode of Gander, Newfoundland and how the community absorbed the extreme number of USA planes and passengers due to the closed air space. Tears and laughter flowed.

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