BIJOU THEATER

BIJOU THEATER. Famed Dubuque theater located on the northwest corner of Fourth and Main STREETS. A successor to the ATHENAEUM, the first theater located on the site, the theater had been renamed the Main Street Theater, and then Bartell's Theater in the 1890s. A performance of Edwin Booth and Lawrence Barrett in 1888 led to Dubuque's first auction of choice seating to those who did not wish to stand in line for tickets. Much to the surprise of those sponsoring the auction, the money raised a disappointing $471.25, only $47.75 more than the regular price of admission.

The Bijou came into existence in 1904 when Jacob Rosenthal, of Siegfried and Rosenthal of Omaha, Nebraska, took over the management. Under Rosenthal, the Bijou became a vaudeville house with its opening night November 14, 1904. From then until June 1905, the theater daily presented a two-hour afternoon and two-hour evening performance with an admission price of ten cents. Six musical numbers were presented at each performance.

In 1909 the Dubuque Opera House Company was incorporated and purchased control of the theater. Extensive remodeling began almost immediately. The stage was lowered from the second to the first floor, and four box seats were installed on each side of the expanded stage. The completed theater, considered one of Iowa's most beautiful, was destroyed by fire on April 7, 1910. The site was soon the location of the MAJESTIC THEATER.