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De’s Dazzles – WHY DO MY TICKETS COST SO MUCH?
Sometimes I hear, please bring in this rich and famous amazing band. Well, the Corning Opera House can’t afford $750,000+ to bring in the musicians you hear on the radio or Spotify! Or sometimes I hear, I’ve never heard of that band, I don’t know if they are any good. Did you know that famous band started small? Did you know that we have Branson performers in the off season, performing the same shows as they do in Branson!? Did you know some of our performers have won America’s Got Talent or The Voice? Just because you haven’t heard of the person, doesn’t mean they are awful. Practice Makes Progress! People leave our concerts with smiles, promises to return, and I’d encourage you to come and hear what we offer!
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​After several years of giving tours, there are some questions that always seem to get asked. So here are 10 things you didn’t know about Corning Opera House:

1. The current building was built on the foundation of the First National Bank of Corning that burned in the great fire of October 1896.
2. The building was constructed in 9 months for a mere $15,000 and held its grand opening in September of 1902.
3. Opera Houses were built as community gathering centers along the railroad – not necessarily where the fat lady sang!

In the early days, our most famous person was

​Anyone familiar with Midwest weather is familiar with tornadoes. Sometimes it’s a gentle breeze & sunshine. Other times, the wind rises, the sky darkens, & a terrible storm we never saw coming, nears. Many years ago, as a fourth grader, I remember a bright sunny day in May. After school, I went to church youth choir. My mother picked me up after the rehearsal and drove us home under dark threatening skies in the nick of time. Upon finding our safe spot in the southwest corner of our basement, we stood firm, anchored our feet down & rode out the storm.  Within a minute, our two-story home was lifted off its foundation and gone, utterly gone. Moments later, we climbed out of the basement to a landscape that was unrecognizable. For as far as my eyes could see, every house flattened, trees uprooted, & in the eerie quiet there was complete mayhem. This massive F5 tornado shaped my life! 

Left - Damage from the street I lived on.
​Right - The church I attended the youth choir about 15 minutes before the tornado hit.

Thanks to the Corning community, I-Jobs grant and various smaller grants who gave generously and believed in our restoration in 2011-12. Part of the I-Jobs grant guidelines were to have an event within 18 months of receiving the money or forfeit the grant dollars. Bravely on April 5 & 6, with no theatrical lighting or sound system installed, we forged ahead with the Ron Cooley Trio featuring Jeff Millhollin. The trio made up of Mannheim Steamroller musicians and Jeff’s original songs gave a magnificent performance! Volunteers worked tirelessly to open on time with wine, hor’doeuvres, and ribbon cutting for the two sold-out performances! June of 2012 we officially opened with performances by Christopher the Conquered and Elizabeth Aarynn followed by the premiere of the movie The Last Ride about Hank Williams. The dream was BIG! And we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.