Our Mission
The historic Music Hall, through its presentations and productions (including commissions of original artistic work), provides Southeastern Michigan with high quality performing arts programs and education that reflect the diverse mix of cultures that make up our community. Music Hall is Detroit’s “People’s Theater” – the place for high quality but non-elitist performing arts and education with an emphasis on dance, theater and music, particularly Jazz. Music Hall aims to be the most accessible, inclusive and culturally diverse performing arts institution in the country.
History
Matilda Rausch Dodge Wilson, founder of Music Hall , was born to German Immigrants Margaret and George Rausch in Walkerton, Ontario, Canada in October of 1883. A year after she was born the Rausch’s moved to Detroit, where her father owned and operated the “Princess Saloon”and her mother ran the “Dry Dock” boarding house next door. In 1902, after graduating Gorsline Business College, she went to work for the Dodge Brothers,John and Horace, at their Hamtramck, Michigan company.
The professional relationship between John and Matilda developed into a person alone and on December 10, 1907, she married John Dodge. Incidentally, one year later they purchased the Meadow Brook farm land in Rochester, Michigan. In1920, while in New York City attending an auto show John contracted influenza and died. At the time, the Dodge Brothers Company held the second place standing in automotive sales.