Aretha, Leno Bring Back Opera House

The lights are back on at the historic Kiel Opera House in St. Louis, which reopened as the Peabody Opera House Oct. 1 after 20 years in the dark and millions in renovations.

The Opera House has been dormant since a philharmonic orchestra performance in 1991. The 3,100-capacity venue scored a second act in recent years when local officials approved a $79 million restoration plan and the venue secured a 10-year naming rights deal with Peabody Electric.

Improvements included the restoration of the Art Deco theater and foyer, new fly space, loading docks, wiring, plumbing, heating and cooling, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

An opening gala included performances by Aretha Franklin and Jay Leno.

SCP Worldwide, which operates the venue through an affiliate, previously announced plans to host to host 264 events in 2012, including concerts, comedy, touring Broadway shows and family events.

Upcoming shows on the books include Wilco, Roger Daltrey, Widespread Panic and George Lopez.