Orpheum Theatre History
The story
of the Orpheum's glory days, its fall from grace and its rise again,
parallels the history of Phoenix through nearly seven decades. From a
community of prosperity, through the depression, to Post-War suburban growth and, now, in the renaissance of an urban downtown core.Click on the jump links below to read about the history of the Orpheum.
1927-1949
The Orpheum construction started in 1927 when downtown Phoenix was a hotbed of new construction: Hotel Westward Ho, Luhrs Towers, a combined courthouse and City Hall, the San Carlos Hotel were all just completed or were under construction. It cost J. E. Rickards and Harry Nace $750,000 to realize their dream to build the most extravagant theater in Phoenix. Motion pictures had begun to outclass traveling vaudeville shows, which had long dominated theaters. Vaudeville had to glitz up its acts in order to survive, and that required better theaters.
Vaudeville didn't survive, of course, but its needs were met at the Orpheum. As vaudeville died, the Orpheum became mostly a movie house, although other events were held there. Gene Bumph, a local dance instructor, rented the Orpheum so his students could do their tap recitals.
1949-1968
In 1949 the theater was sold to another movie chain and renamed the Paramount. Phoenix was booming, but new residents were settling in the suburbs and the advent of television would soon spell the demise of the theaters as the exclusive outlet for entertainment. In twenty short years, the once superior Orpheum was outdated and was no match for suburban theaters built to accommodate Hollywood's latest technologies in sound and color showcasing "wide screen" celluloid extravaganzas. Downtown would soon begin a long fade. The magnificent movie palaces such as the Fox and Rialto were demolished, and those remaining fell out of grace.
After four decades as a movie theater, various owners had obliterated much of the Orpheum's intricate decorative painting, which originally graced the lobbies and audience chamber. The murals were painted over in black to avoid competing for attention with the productions and four of the graduated "ropes" of decorated plaster that framed the proscenium arch were removed.
1968-Early 1980s
In 1968, impresario James Nederlander bought the theater and renamed it Palace West, adding it to his string of playhouses for touring Broadway plays and musical productions. Under his ownership, a new generation of Phoenicians was introduced to the theater with stage productions such as Cabaret, Barefoot in the Park, Annie, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and other popular plays.
While Phoenicians enjoyed the productions, Nederlander recognized that extensive and expensive improvements would be needed to continue to present first class productions. Then he abandoned the Palace West as a stop for his national touring circuit and leased the theater to the Corona family, who presented Spanish language films for several years.
Early 1980s
In the early 1980's Nederlander decided to put the property on the market rather than renovate it for reuse. It shared the block with a drive-thru restaurant and a parking lot -- an incompatible icon of a bygone era.
The theater's location on the west side of Central Avenue may have had more to do with its survival than any other factor. Many older buildings fell victim to destruction by fire or were razed to accommodate high rise development in the 1970's. But Second Avenue and Adams Street was not in the direction Phoenix' downtown rebirth was headed.
Concurrent to the Orpheum's near demise, the Junior League of Phoenix initiated a project to inventory historic buildings in the downtown area. Although the Orpheum was identified as a valuable historic property, some potential buyers considered razing the theater to put a new commercial building there.
Then-Mayor Terry Goddard and his newly formed historic preservation task force endorsed the idea of having the city buy the theater to ensure its long-term preservation. Shortly thereafter, the Junior League of Phoenix spearheaded a community effort to retain the architectural and historical integrity of Phoenix' last historic theater and helped place the Orpheum on the National Register of Historic Places.
1987-1989
In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Junior League in Phoenix, the League pledged a $50,000 gift to the City of Phoenix to serve as a catalyst for the theater's restoration. To raise public support and encourage private sector donations, the League assisted in organizing the Orpheum Theatre Foundation in 1987 and incorporating it in 1989.
By adopting the Orpheum Theatre as a project, the League contributed $150,000, 175 volunteers and thousands of hours over the next ten years, providing the vision and leadership to realize the completion of the restoration effort.
Phoenix suffered a real estate "downturn" at the end of the 80's, which impacted the flow of funds from the city as well as the private sector. The city's five-year Capital Improvement Program was stretched out to ten years, and the Orpheum's construction, as well as other cultural projects, was delayed.
1990
In 1990, then-Mayor Paul Johnson and the Phoenix City Council decided to incorporate the Orpheum into the construction plans for the new City Hall to be built on the site on the south half of the Orpheum block. The modern 20-story City Hall building would be like a mother to a refurbished Orpheum, providing her water, electricity, heating and cooling. At the same time, the old theater would be restored to better than new, so it could serve as a performing arts center, another step in restarting the heart of the city.
With the dedicated leadership of Delbert and Jewell Lewis, president and board chairman of MAC America, respectively, the Orpheum Theatre Foundation's Restoration Campaign Committee embarked on a mission to bridge the financial gap and secure the funds to support a total restoration of the facility before reopening. Through a multitude of events, programs and activities, fundraising and consciousness-raising, corporate and individual contributors from a broad cross-section of the community met the challenge.
Today
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 theater 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.
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