Revival for the National? by Harry Kollatz, Richmond Magazine, October 2000

An "atmospheric theater," The National was designed by architect Claude K. Howell, who also created many Monument Avenue residences. It opened Nov. 12, 1923. One writer gushed that The National was "handsome, stately, adorned but not ornate..." The appointments were installed by sculptor Ferruccio Legnaioli, whose touches include nymphs thoughout and a frieze of them near the roof line.

Outside, The National resembles an Italian Renaissance villa while inside is more restrained. Oval domes over the two-level lobby and the auditorium give an impression of palatial spaciousness. The theater could seat 1,114 people and included four boxes, still intact. The largest orchestra pit in Virginia could hold a 25-member orchestra, an organ and a player piano. A billiards hall briefly occupied the basement.

While Historic Richmond Foundation carpenters cleaned the interior, they uncovered a sealed nursery. Along the walls are lively, painted stencils of children dressed as jesters holding a string from which puppets dangle.

The National's roster of performers ranged from vaudeville novelty acts like the "Mermaid in the Crystal Bowl" to the 1934 Broadway double bill of "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" and "Candida," both of which featured a young Orson Welles and stage legend Katherine Cornell. Musicians who played there included Eddie Cantor and the Paul Whiteman Orchestra.

Barbra Streisand's "Funny Girl" opened in 1968 with fanfare and spotlights. The last picture show at The National was Lou Ferrigno's "Hercules," Sept. 5, 1983.

In 1986, a wrecker's ball loomed but Historic Richmond Foundation rescued the building. Since then, HRF trustee, Jim Whiting, and volunteers have tended and stabilized the old place. Its potential uses today range from the premier presentation space for films made in Virginia, to a home for independent film companies, both, or a mixture of uses. The National, as Richmond's remaining Broadway-style house, also features a performance stage, though a convenient parking deck installed behind it inconveniently blocked the large doors needed to load in set pieces.

Interior photographs of the National

Interior of the 1920s lobby

Historic Richmond Foundation - The William Byrd Branch of APVA Preservation Virginia