The Howard Theatre is one of Washington DC's most historically significant performance venues, opened August 22, 1910 and billed as 'the Theater of the People.' In its golden era it hosted Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Sammy Davis Jr., James Brown, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and Dinah Washington. The 1968 riots following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. contributed to its closure in 1970.
After a $30 million renovation led by Ellis Development and Martinez + Johnson Architecture, the Howard reopened on April 9, 2012. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974, it is now operated by Blue Note Entertainment Group and Union Stage Presents, hosting Kendrick Lamar, The Roots, Sheila E, Esperanza Spalding, Gregory Porter, go-go music, comedy, and community programming.