Proposed new locations included Columbus Circle and what is now Rockefeller Center, but none of these plans came to fruition.
Various plans were put forward over the years to build a new home for the company and designs for new opera houses were created by various architects including Joseph Urban. Scenery and sets were a regular sight leaning against the building exterior on 39th Street where crews had to shift them between performances. While the theater was noted for its excellent acoustics and elegant interior, as early as the 1900s the backstage facilities were deemed to be severely inadequate for a large opera company. The Met had a seating capacity of 3,625 with 224 standing room places. This enlarged the seating capacity and left only the first tier of boxes from the "golden horseshoe" of the opera house's origins as a showplace for New York society. The second tier of privately held boxes (the "grand tier") was converted into standard row seating. At this time the last major change to the auditorium's interior was completed. In 1940, ownership of the opera house shifted from the wealthy families who occupied the theater's boxes to the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association. Metropolitan Opera House program cover depicting the Proscenium arch in 1935 The first of the Met's signature gold damask stage curtains was installed in 1906, completing the look that the old Metropolitan Opera House maintained until its closing. The familiar golden auditorium with its sunburst chandelier, and curved proscenium inscribed with the names of six composers ( Gluck, Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, Gounod and Verdi), dates from this time. In 1903, architects Carrère and Hastings extensively redesigned the interior of the opera house. During that season, the Vaudeville Club, which eventually became the Metropolitan Opera Club, was founded and hosted entertainment in the undamaged portions of the house. The 1892−93 season was canceled while the opera house was rebuilt along its original lines. On August 27, 1892, the nine-year-old theater was gutted by fire. Nicknamed "The Yellow Brick Brewery" for its industrial looking exterior, the original Metropolitan Opera House was designed by J. It was located at 1411 Broadway, occupying the whole block between West 39th Street and West 40th Street on the west side of the street in the Garment District of Midtown Manhattan. The Metropolitan Opera House (also known as "the old Met"), opened on October 22, 1883, with a performance of Faust. The Metropolitan Opera Company was founded in 1883.
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