Orpheum Theatre (Sioux City, Iowa)

Orpheum Theatre (Sioux City, Iowa)
Orpheum Theatre
The main stage and curtain at the Sioux City Orpheum
Orpheum Theatre (Sioux City, Iowa) is located in Iowa
Location: 5228 Pierce St., Sioux City, Iowa
Coordinates: 42°29′44.15″N 96°24′17.34″W / 42.4955972°N 96.4048167°W / 42.4955972; -96.4048167Coordinates: 42°29′44.15″N 96°24′17.34″W / 42.4955972°N 96.4048167°W / 42.4955972; -96.4048167
Built: 1927
Architect: Rapp & Rapp
Architectural style: Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, French Renaissance
Governing body: Private
NRHP Reference#: 00000919[1]
Added to NRHP: August 25, 2000

The Orpheum Theatre, also known as New Orpheum Theatre and Orpheum Electric Building, is a performing arts center located at 528 S. Pierce Street in Sioux City, Iowa. Built in 1927 as a vaudeville and movie palace, the theatre was restored in 1999 and today is the home of the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra.[2]

Contents

Early history

The Sioux City Orpheum was designed by the nationally known Chicago firm of Rapp & Rapp and constructed in 1927 as part of the Orpheum Circuit. The major builder for the theatre was local Sioux City businessman, Arthur Sanford. It was one of the largest theatres in Iowa at its time and was certainly somewhat of a risk financially for Mr. Sanford, with a total construction cost of 1.75 million. This once opulent vaudeville and moving picture house boasted a large 2,650 seat, three story auditorium complete with Wurlitzer pipe organ, half circle boxes, hand carved detailing, gilded ornamentation, several crystal chandeliers and a hand painted ceiling. Throughout the years, the Orpheum was used for symphony performances, ballet and special attractions and hosted entertainers such as Fred Astaire, Tallulah Bankhead, and Katharine Hepburn.[2][3]

Restoration

According to Ray Shepardson, a nationally-known theatre restoration specialist, because of the work of filmmaker George Lindblade, the project may be the most extensively documented major theatre restoration in the United States. Lindblade's documentary "Puttin' on the Glitz" is the latest in a long list of award-winning projects.[4]

Over the decades, the theater suffered numerous insensitive remodels but has recently returned spectacularly to life thanks to a dedicated team of restoration expert and craftspeople.[5] In 1982, the theater was "twinned" or cut into two small movie houses, and a wall of sheet rock was placed down the center aisle. These movie theaters operated until 1992 when for the first time in 65 years, the Orpheum went dark.[6]

The reconstruction, overseen by Ray Shepardson, was started in 1999 with the expertise of architect Ed Storm from FEH Associates in Sioux City at a cost of nearly $12million. During the renovation 3 of the original crystal chandeliers were found intact above the drop-ceiling. Their single toughest problem was reconstructing the balcony and loge boxes. It took four months and 40,000 pounds of steel to complete the reconstruction.When the theater reopened in the fall of 2001, reporter Robert Morast wrote in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader: "Basically, the Orpheum feels like an upper-class theater ripped out of an old black-and-white movie and given a Technicolor treatment. The ambiance alone in worth the price of admission."[7]

The Orpheum Theater was publicly reopened on 15 September 2001. Recent performances have been given by Bill Cosby, Sheryl Crow, B.B. King, Bob Dylan, Olivia Newton-John, Wynton Marsalis and David Copperfield. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.[1]

References

External links

See also

Movie palaces list


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sioux City Municipal Auditorium — Municipal Auditorium U.S. National Register of Historic Places …   Wikipedia

  • New Orpheum Theatre — or New Orpheum Theater may refer to: Orpheum Theatre (Champaign, Illinois), also known as The New Orpheum listed on the NRHP in Illinois New Orpheum Theatre (Sioux City, Iowa), listed on the NRHP in Iowa See also Orpheum Theatre This… …   Wikipedia

  • Orpheum — is a name often used for theatres or other entertainment venues. It may refer to: Theaters Australia Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace in Sydney, Australia Canada Orpheum (Vancouver) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Germany Orpheum Dresden… …   Wikipedia

  • Orpheum Circuit — Orpheum Circuit, Inc., was a company started by Martin Beck who owned a series of vaudeville theaters and motion picture theaters. Contents 1 The company 2 Earlier Orpheum Circuit 3 Theatres still operating …   Wikipedia

  • Days Inn - Sioux City — (Sioux City,США) Категория отеля: 2 звездочный отель Адрес: 3000 Singing Hills Boulevard …   Каталог отелей

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Woodbury County, Iowa — Location of Woodbury County in Iowa This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Woodbury County, Iowa. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places… …   Wikipedia

  • Movie palace — The Uptown Theatre in Chicago is reputed to be the largest movie palace in the United States. A movie palace (or picture palace in the UK) is a term used to refer to the large, elaborately decorated movie theaters built between the 1910s and the… …   Wikipedia

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Dubuque County, Iowa — Location of Dubuque County in Iowa This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Dubuque County, Iowa. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in… …   Wikipedia

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Downtown Davenport, Iowa — The National Register of Historic Places listings in Downtown Davenport, Iowa is defined as south of 5th Street from Marquette Street east to the intersection of River Drive (U.S. Route 67) and East 4th Street …   Wikipedia

  • Rapp and Rapp — The architectural firm Rapp and Rapp was active in Chicago during the early 20th century. Cornelius W. Rapp and George L. Rapp were the named partners. The firm is well known for movie theater design. Some of the notable buildings that the firm… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”