The Grand has made much progress – both artistically and organizationally – in the decade leading up to its 150th birthday in December 2021. But, like many other valued arts groups, The Grand took a significant blow during the coronavirus pandemic and the closures of public spaces that it necessitated.

Since the beginning of the indoor closures, The Grand pivoted to take the arts OUTDOOR and into the community.  In the summer months, The Grand produced a number of drive-in concerts in the parking lot of Frawley Stadium, with approx. 200 cars per event attending! In the fall, we hosted a drive-in movie musical series, paying homage to our Broadway In Wilmington series that continues to be postponed.  This winter, The Grand (along with the Riverfront Development Corporation, Light Action Productions, and the City of Wilmington) produced a 6-week holiday drive-through light show on Wilmington's Riverfront.  The event was a massive success, bringing 10,000 families into Wilmington to support the arts and local restaurants and businesses.  

Your support today helps propel the organization's launch of the next 150 years of entertaining, engaging and enriching the community while proudly stewarding our historic theaters. With the support of our entire community, we will continue to create economic vitality for the City and the State while also lifting the human spirit.

Because The Grand is for everybody, everybody needs to be “for The Grand”.

For more than 150 years, The Grand Opera House has been delighting the citizens of Wilmington, Delaware, and the greater Brandywine region with the finest live entertainment the country and the world have to offer. In 2015, we assumed operation of The Playhouse on Rodney Square (formerly the DuPont Theatre), adding the best of touring Broadway to our roster. With more than 120 performances a year, our three venues offer the very best entertainment options, something to please every taste. The Grand and Playhouse are more than just the wonderful shows on stage. We provide a wide variety of community engagement programs for children, adults, and adults in the region.

As a non-profit organization that presents the best music, comedy, and dance, The Grand is accountable to you and many others who treasure the organization and its three live performance venues – Copeland Hall, the baby grand, and The Playhouse on Rodney Square – as a center for the arts, and a provider of community education programs. You and the others who love The Grand are “the owners,” and the key to a stronger, more vital Grand is many owners doing their part to maintain this valuable community asset. By joining others who make a gift to The Grand this year, you’ll be doing your part to help preserve these beautiful and intimate facilities for all to enjoy.

You may be aware that The Grand does much more than create great performances in two beautiful, historic theater settings. It also provides education programs such as the Stages of Discovery school matinee series, Summer Explorers for children, and community programming such as Summer in the Parks, social dances, and monthly Art Loop exhibits in the Grand Galleries. Altogether, The Grand introduces meaningful arts experiences to over 35,000 children and families – the next generation of Grand patrons. It also partners with many community organizations to stage more than 400 events annually.

Where the Money GOES