Orpheum Theatre (Omaha)
{{Short description|Theater in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.}}
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{{Infobox venue
| name = Orpheum Theater
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| nickname = The Orpheum
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| image = Orpheumomaha.jpg
| image_size = 250px
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| image_alt = The former steel-letter marquee at Omaha's Orpheum Theater was replaced by a digital marquee in 2013
| caption = Exterior of venue, showcasing the marquee ({{circa|2013}})
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| address = 409 S 16th St
Omaha, Nebraska 68102-2602
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| location = Downtown Omaha
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| owner = City of Omaha
| operator = Omaha Performing Arts Society
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| capacity = 2,600
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| broke_ground = June 1926
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| opened = {{Start date|1927|10|10}}
| renovated = {{hlist|1954|1973–1975|1996|2002|2017}}
| expanded =
| closed = {{Start date|1971|04|29}}
| reopened = {{Start date|1975|01|17}}
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| cost = $ 2 million
{{small|(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|2000000|1926}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})}}
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| website = {{URL|http://www.orpheumtheateromaha.com/}}
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{{Infobox NRHP
| embed = yes
| name = Orpheum Theater
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| built = {{hlist|1895|1927}}
| architect = {{hlist|Holabird & Roche|Lawrie, Harry}}
| architecture = Italianate
| added = March 26, 1973
| mpsub =
| refnum = 73001061{{NRISref|2007a}}
}}
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The Orpheum Theater is a theater located in Omaha, Nebraska. The theater hosts programs best served by a more theatrical setting, including the Omaha Performing Arts Broadway Season, presented with Broadway Across America, and Opera Omaha's season. The theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The main auditorium is a proscenium theater known as "Slosburg Hall". The theater has a theatre organ, made by Wurlitzer.
History
File:City National Bank Building, Omaha, Nebraska 041.jpg
The current site of the building was previously home to the "Creighton Theater".{{cite news|title=Orpheum Theater|newspaper=Omaha World-Herald|date=March 28, 1974}} John A. McShane organized a stock company to build the original theater in 1895. The architects for the original theater were Fisher & Lawrie and the general contractors were Rocheford & Gould. Paxton and Vierling installed the iron curtain that weighed 11 tons. The theater was named after John A. Creighton, a local philanthropist, and a large portrait of Count Creighton decorated the proscenium arch. The Creighton Theater was eventually added to the Orpheum Circuit, which by 1900 had expanded to nine western cities: Omaha, Chicago, Kansas City, New Orleans, Denver, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento. The reference to Creighton was eventually dropped from the theater's name.
By 1926 a new, larger theater was in the works. The current space was built in 1926 on the same site as the original Creighton Theater, but with its entrance situated on 16th Street. When vaudeville acts were no longer in fashion, a screen was added and the theater operated as a downtown movie theater from the 1940s through 1971.{{cite book |last=Spencer |first=Jeffery |author-link= |editor1-last=Gerber |editor1-first=Kristine |date=2003 |title=Building for the Ages: Omaha's Architectural Landmarks |url= |location=Omaha, Nebraska |publisher=Omaha Books|page=168|isbn=9780974541013}} A year later, the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben purchased the building and began a $2 million renovation and became a performing arts venue once again.{{cite web |url=http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/295 |title=Orpheum Theater |last1=Crawford |first1=Bob |last2= |first2= |date=June 2011 |website=Cinema Treasures|publisher= |access-date=September 28, 2010|archive-url=https://archive.today/LVAn |archive-date=July 9, 2012}}
In 2002, Omaha Performing Arts Society assumed management of the Orpheum Theater from the City of Omaha, and the Orpheum underwent a $10 million renovation, making it capable of accommodating larger and more complicated scenery and sets.{{cite web |url=http://www.omahaperformingarts.org/orpheum/history/default.aspx |title=The Evolution of a Cultural Center |author= |date=April 2010 |website=Omaha Performing Arts Society |publisher= |access-date=January 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120131080337/http://www.omahaperformingarts.org/orpheum/history/default.aspx |archive-date=January 31, 2012}} The Skylink was added in 2004 for increased convenience and accessibility to the theater. The 200-foot-long elevated, enclosed and climate-controlled walkway connects the OPPD parking garage to the venue.
In October 2013, the steel-letter marquee that was installed with the 1975 renovation was replaced with a digital electronic display board.{{cite web |url=http://www.omaha.com/article/20131010/GO/131019987/1181 |title=Orpheum marquee: Metal letters out; pictures, colors, motion in |last1=Fischbach |first1=Bob |last2= |first2= |date=October 10, 2013 |website=Omaha World-Herald |publisher=Berkshire Hathaway |access-date=January 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013020634/http://www.omaha.com/article/20131010/GO/131019987/1181#orpheum-marquee-metal-letters-out-pictures-colors-motion-in |archive-date=October 13, 2013}} The signage upgrades also included the installation of LED posters in the theater's lobby. During the summer of 2017, the theatre received a $3 million update, including paint, new carpeting and a refresh of seating.{{cite web |url=http://www.omaha.com/go/arts/orpheum-theater-celebrates-years-countless-memories-in-omaha/article_d3ddef97-4a8d-5a4d-95eb-f3d07540e210.html |title=Orpheum Theater celebrates 90 years, countless memories in Omaha |last1=Freeman |first1=Betsie |last2= |first2= |date=October 22, 2017 |website=Omaha World-Herald |publisher=Berkshire Hathaway|access-date=October 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171022120311/http://www.omaha.com/go/arts/orpheum-theater-celebrates-years-countless-memories-in-omaha/article_d3ddef97-4a8d-5a4d-95eb-f3d07540e210.html |archive-date=October 22, 2017}}
See also
External links
- [https://o-pa.org/our-venues/orpheum?gclid=CjwKCAiA9bmABhBbEiwASb35V29kVF_exlsbP1KGtX5J_IpDeaIo1WWaxUgq0R7rgdunDiE5BZITqhoCjfkQAvD_BwE History of the theater]
- [http://www.ticketomaha.com/venues/orpheum/default.aspx Omaha Orpheum Interior]
- [http://www.cardcow.com/200163/orpheum-theater-omaha-nebraska/ Postcard Orpheum Theater Interior]
- [http://digital.omahapubliclibrary.org/earlyomaha/galleries/postcards/post300_013.jpg Original Omaha Orpheum Theater Postcard]
- [http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A0PDoS7anQ1RfD4A0aKJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dorpheum%2Bcircuit%26fr%3Dyfp-t-701%26fr2%3Dpiv-web%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D4&w=375&h=532&imgurl=www.saengeramusements.com%2Ftheatres%2Fnawlins%2Fstcharle%2F1908-orpheum-program-1-375.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.saengeramusements.com%2Ftheatres%2Fnawlins%2Fstcharle%2Fstcharle.htm&size=68.9+KB&name=...+to+the+Keith-Orpheum+Circuit+and+opened+its+doors+as+%26quot%3BThe+Orpheum&p=orpheum+circuit&oid=4a0e41076e84b0e9483b71d1867b8640&fr2=piv-web&fr=yfp-t-701&tt=...%2Bto%2Bthe%2BKeith-Orpheum%2BCircuit%2Band%2Bopened%2Bits%2Bdoors%2Bas%2B%2526quot%253BThe%2BOrpheum&b=0&ni=108&no=4&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=127op45e5&sigb=138d6h211&sigi=12ibdr978&.crumb=4MTmagU2.oT Orpheum Circuit Program - Omaha Orpheum on lower left]
- [http://memories.nebraska.gov/cdm/search/searchterm/Orpheum%20Theatre%20(Omaha%2C%20Neb.)/field/all/mode/exact/conn/and/order/title Historic Images of the Orpheum] - Nebraska Memories
References
{{Commons category|City National Bank - Orpheum Theater (Omaha, Nebraska)}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Omaha Landmark cultural venues}}
{{NRHP Omaha}}
{{Movie theaters in Omaha, Nebraska}}
{{Music venues of Nebraska}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:History of Downtown Omaha, Nebraska
Category:Theatres in Omaha, Nebraska
Category:Music venues in Omaha, Nebraska
Category:Cinemas and movie theaters in Omaha, Nebraska
Category:National Register of Historic Places in Omaha, Nebraska
Category:Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Nebraska