Lincoln Theatre

The Lincoln Theatre is a 1,250-seat historic theatre on Washington, D.C.'s U Street corridor, directly across from the U Street–Cardozo Metro station. It opened in the early 1920s as a movie palace and dance hall at the heart of "Black Broadway," hosting Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Cab Calloway, Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt's birthday balls in 1942 and 1943. The theatre went dark in 1983, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and reopened fully restored in February 1994. I.M.P. — the operator behind the 9:30 Club, The Anthem and Merriweather Post Pavilion — has programmed the room since June 2013, booking touring standup alongside concerts, author talks and film events; recent and upcoming comedy bills include Ilana Glazer, Michelle Wolf, Pete Holmes, Jessica Kirson, Zarna Garg, Jordan Jensen, Amber Autry and Matt Friend. Shows are all ages unless otherwise posted, seating is reserved or general admission depending on the show, and there are bars and a coffee bar on site.