The Stifel Theatre is a civic performing arts building located in St. Louis, Missouri.
- Venue
- Stifel Theatre
- Address
- 1400 market street
- Town
- St. Louis, US
- Capacity
- 3,100
The Stifel Theatre is a civic performing arts building located in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded as the "Kiel Opera House" (in honor of former St. Louis Mayor Henry Kiel), opened in 1934 as a part of the "Municipal Auditorium and Opera House". The theatre operated until 1991, when it and the adjacent Kiel Auditorium were closed so the auditorium could be demolished and replaced by the Kiel Center, now known as Enterprise Center. When the auditorium was slated for demolition, the local consortium who owned the St. Louis Blues ice hockey team, Kiel Center's main tenant, promised to rehabilitate the opera house as well. Neither that group nor the Bill Laurie family who bought the Blues in 1998, however, renovated the building, instead claiming that they had fulfilled their financial obligations. In June 2009, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen voted 25-1 to subsidize the renovation and reopening of the theatre under the direction of the Blues' new owners, Sports Capital Partners. The subsidies were funded by municipal bonds and state/federal historic tax credits. On July 12, 2010, it was announced that the name was changing to the "Peabody Opera House", named after the company Peabody Energy. The renovation lasted for fourteen months and included the construction of a new entrance for the building. On October 1, 2011, the Peabody Opera House opened for the first time since the $79 million renovation. The show featured personalities such as Jay Leno, Aretha Franklin, and Chuck Berry and was attended by a full house of 3,100. Since its reopening, it has played host to a diverse variety of performing acts, including touring musicians, comedians, live theatre and dance, and social and political events. On July 16, 2018, it was announced that the building had entered into a 10-year naming rights agreement with Stifel Financial Corp. and would be renamed Stifel Theatre. From 1934 until 1968, the Opera House was home to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. In April 1966, the Symphony