Orpheum Theatre

HTML clipboardThe Orpheum Theatre is an internationally recognized showcase for arts and entertainment. It is home to music, dance, drama, comedy and everything in between, as the Orpheum’s first-rate acoustics, equipment, and accommodations for both the performers and patrons are without peer. The fully-staffed, state-of-the-art theater is one of Arizona’s most beautiful and storied venues for arts and entertainment and recognized as one of the most outstanding facilities for live entertainment in the great Southwest. Originally opened in 1929, the Theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and recognized as one of the West’s most significant theater structures. Now owned and operated by the City of Phoenix, the Orpheum remains a premier theater location for everything from stage shows and plays, to dance, music concerts, private events and more.   After 12 years, $14 million and an incredible amount of perseverance, the historic Orpheum Theatre has been renovated for "adaptive reuse," restoring as much of its visible splendor as possible, while retrofitting it as a modern theatre capable of handling anything Broadway sends its way. And its marquee at Second Avenue and Adams Street again announces the names of first class productions, drawing thousands of people to a vibrant downtown venue.  The Orpheum is owned and operated by the City of Phoenix, Phoenix Convention Center Department. Friends of the Orpheum provide educational and restoration support through volunteer and fundraising programs.   Restoration and Renovation When the Orpheum Theatre was built in the 1920's it was truly state of the art in every sense of the word. The audience chamber was designed to create the illusion of sitting in the courtyard of a Spanish villa, with views of a distant landscape above the sidewalls. Ornate plaster work inside and out exhibited the Spanish Medieval and Baroque architecture style.   Detailed arches, niches and columns were complimented by zodiac designs in the lobby door panels, a peacock design on the circular staircase, and an auditorium ceiling that changed from a golden sunset into a starry sky with moving clouds. Over the years the impressive wall murals were painted black, four of the seven proscenium “ropes” were removed to widen the stage, and much of the fabulous lobby and interior detail were painted neutral.   Almost seven decades later that same Orpheum Theatre of 1929 was recreated into a modern building that met or exceeded all current laws and codes. The stagehouse was nearly doubled in size, with an orchestra lift that adjusts to three levels and even rises to form an extension to the stage. The floor of the auditorium was re-raked to give viewers a better angle of vision. An elevator was installed and wheelchair locations were incorporated to satisfy American Disabilities Act requirements. Even the pipe organ was reinstalled, only this time it was a Wurlitzer.    Contact:  Friends of the Orpheum Theatre 203 W. Adams Street Phoenix, AZ 85003-1602

 

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