Orpheum Theatre

In the late ‘70s and early '80s, I worked at the Orpheum. I can categorically state that the fare at that time was definitely neither blaxploitation nor adult fare. Our bookings really ran the gamut, from Russ Meyer triple features (kind of porn light, but definitely not crossing the line into true porn), a month-long series of Disney Classics, and even the very long first run of Coal Miner’s Daughter. We usually had very little business, but a few block-buster films per year seemed to keep us, barely, in the black.

Even in a state of marginal disrepair, the theater was quite lovely, showing off its vaudeville roots. However, some systems were badly out of date. The non-working furnace mentioned by a poster above, is a prime example. The heat was supplied by a boiler and it was either OFF or ON. The thermostat was a non-functional joke. So if the auditorium was mostly empty, patrons froze. Busy? They sweltered. Both freezers and sweaters complained, but there was absolutely nothing that the staff could do to make them comfortable.

The projection equipment was in much better repair, but to get to the projection booth required flat shoes, nerves of steel, and strong thighs to get up a narrow, steep, turning,dangerous stairway. Popcorn was popped in the dressing rooms, behind and below the stage, and brought up in plastic bags. No aroma of freshly popped popcorn at this theater!

Having now seen the photos of the dome rehab., I can’t wait to go back to the old Orpheum, and see how pretty she’s become. I just wonder if the workers have found the old ice cream freezer that was walled in. Or managed to eradicate the legions of albino cockroaches…

How’s the auditorium restoration coming along?

This fun video tells the Orpheum Theatre history and shows interior/exterior pictures;
View link

That is definitely the reason. They sometimes used the same basic design template on different jobs, with a few customizations to create a unique product. In this case the same basic scheme was used on both the Ringling & the Orpheum.

The first link above is of the Ringling Theatre in Baraboo, WI, and the second is of the Orpheum, according to the photo captions. They are remarkably similar, and the Oprheum photo looks very recent. Have they been doing some renovations recently?? (The photos in the Jan 19 post the auditorium looks father tattered.

There was a good article with a nice photo of the renovated auditorium in the News-Gazette back on or about November 4, 2009, which I just saw a copy of. I can’t seem to find it on their website but it was lovely. They have already hosted one wedding there, even though it’s not finished. I’ll keep trying to find that article and photo, but if anyone else can get it please post it here.

Take a look for yourself:

View link

There are some press releases on the official web site which indicate that the building was recently damaged, and that the organization feels they may be better off in a building other than the Orpheum.

However, the newest one is a year old, and they are still scheduling events.

Here is a 1992 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/dbg5n7

I visited this now-museum several times over several years around the turn of the Millennia. My mom is a fan of old buildings, so my dad donated money to the museum for the restoration and expansion, so we traveled there to see what they’ve done. For the first several years, all they had was a small space that used up the area behind the windows paint with faux curtains in the above photos. However, in the last two or so years we went, they had reopened the main entrance below the marquee and with that, had a professional looking admission foyer which then opened up to the 2-story atrium just outside the main auditorium. The balcony stairs and upstairs was completely refurbished but keeping the original materials and designs, basically just new paint. There were safety code improvements, like plexiglass I believe to extend the height of the railings, but they don’t detract from the look. The outdoor space just to the south has also become an outdoor exhibit space, with a fossil hunt and those cool echo sound domes present. Last time I was there, the main auditorium was still fully closed, but they have grand plans for it. The seats have long been removed, but they plan on turning the whole space into museum exhibits. The space is so large though that it will require a lot of funds and hadn’t been touched at all. The woman who showed us around, since we were donors, knew a lot about the physical space, like the changing rooms beneath the stage, and seemed to have a really well placed heart and vision. The museum is definitely aimed at young crowds as my brother and I who were then in our early teens were completely bored by it, but let’s be honest, we weren’t the target audience. I’m curious now as to how much, or little, progress has been made since we were last there.

Either way, what they’ve already accomplished has turned that space back into a thing of beauty and should be a posterchild for other spaces facing the same fate.

-Brian

In 1915 work began on the Al. Ringling Theatre in Baraboo, Wisconsin which was also designed by Rapp and Rapp. The “Al.” owes a lot to the Orpheum being nearly identical in plan. A greater budger however allowed for more lavish use of ornament including over a dozen handpainted murals and an elaborate terra cotta facade.

If you would like more information on the Al. check out the website at www.alringling.com

Please contact me if you would like to discuss the early works of Rapp and Rapp. Paul