Busby Theatre & Opera House

The Busby Opera House opened on March 13, 1908, with a performance of popular star DeWolf Hopper’s comic opera “Happyland.” A few months later the Busby’s generous (42x80 foot) stage hosted perhaps its grandest production, the road show of “Ben Hur,” the company of which gave four performances. Cast, crew, orchestra, stagehands and assorted helpers numbered two hundred, arriving on a special train which had been preceded by another train bringing sets, properties and stage machinery, as well as the live horses that appeared in the famous chariot race scene. The production was a grand success, drawing patrons from surrounding territory by more special trains. The 1,362 seats were filled for every performance, and several hundred standees also attended.

The great era of the Busby Opera House lasted a bit over a decade. The builder of the house, William Busby, died in 1913 and his heirs sold the theater and adjacent hotel to outside investors, but for several years long-time manager A. B. Estes remained in charge and continued to follow the ambitious policy Busby had established. During this time hardly a single major roadshow or popular concert performer failed to make at least one appearance at the Busby, and McAlester gained a reputation as one of the cultural capitals of Oklahoma.

Also during these years, movies were run when other events were not available, and both the theater and Mr. Estes were often mentioned in movie theater industry trade journals. After Mr. Estes departed in 1919 movies became more frequent, though live events continued to be an important part of the Busby Theatre’s programming, but fewer each year. For a while in the 1920s Publix had a lease on the house, which they sold to the regional Robb & Rowley circuit in 1929. That was also the year in which the last big stage production, a minstrel company, appeared at the Busby. With the onset of the depression, the theater was closed, and in 1933 it was sold to a church.

Sadly, the various houses of worship that had occupied the building during its later years had been unable to afford the upkeep necessary to maintain the structure, and in 1983, despite the attempts of a newly organized historical society to acquire and save the property, the theater was demolished and its site converted into a parking lot for the nearby Baptist congregation.

Hello Theater historians,

I am writing a book for History Press about early theaters in Oklahoma. Is it possible that someone can send me a photograph of the BUSBY at 300dpi? FULL CREDIT WILL BE GIVEN. Thank you, Dr. John Wilson, Stillwater, Oklahoma.

During the brief period when the Busby Theatre staged burlesques shows this was the type routine that strip queens performed.
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Here is a 1907 postcard view of the Busby Hotel. The horsedrawn bus was a free shuttle between the hotel and train depots. The theatre had not yet been built.
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Inspection of this vintage snapshot indicates a wall poster advertising a movie “Queen of the Sea”, featuring Australian swimming star Annette Kellerman, 1918. If so, then the Busby
Theatre most certainly did persent film entertainment …
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ellenmc/2648909484/

During its burlesque era the Busby Theatre most likely staged these types of strip-tease acts,
[url=http://www.burlesquehistory.com/index.html]

[]www.burlesquehistory.com/index.html](http://www.burlesquehistory.com/index.html[/url)[/url]
http://www.anatomyofburlesque.com/
with this style of bump & grind rhythm music,
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Two views that blended together above…
BUSBY THEATER 1908-1983
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Click here to see cover of Busby Theater Grand Opening Program , Friday, March 13, 1908:
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LOOK! into photo pages on these web sites to see clear interior and exterior photographs of the BUSBY Theater, plus the Okla and V;
http://www.mcalester.libok.us/
http://www.dancingrabbitgallery.com
WHAT FUN!!!