Officials to cut ribbon on restored Howard Theatre
Monday - 4/9/2012, 12:17pm ET
WASHINGTON - Officials are set to cut the ribbon on a restored theater in Northwest Washington that helped launch the careers of Ella Fitzgerald and Marvin Gaye.
District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, among others, are scheduled to attend Monday's ceremony for the Howard Theatre.
The 100-year-old theater has been undergoing a $29 million restoration since September 2010. It opened as a first-of-its-kind showcase for black artists in 1910.
Monday's event will also feature the unveiling of a Duke Ellington statue nearby. On Thursday, there will be a benefit concert to support the restoration efforts. Smokey Robinson, Raheem DeVaugh, Savion Glover, Robert Randolph and Wanda Sykes are among the performers scheduled to appear.
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