Desert Star Theater facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Iris Theater, Apartments and Commercial Building
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Desert Star Playhouse resides in the historic Iris Theatre
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 Location in Utah
Location in the United States
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| Location | 4861 South State Street. Murray, Utah |
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| Area | 1.31 acres (0.53 ha) |
| Built | 1930 |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 01000959 |
| Added to NRHP | September 7, 2001 |
The Desert Star Theater is a fun dinner theater in Murray, Utah. It's a place where you can eat and watch funny plays at the same time! But this theater has a long and interesting history. It started out as a small movie theater called the Gem.
The Gem theater showed silent movies, which means there was no talking in the films. A piano player would play music along with the movie. Later, the Gem theater closed down and was torn apart. But a new, bigger theater was built in its place by an owner named Tony Duvall. He called it the Iris Theater. After Tony Duvall retired, the Iris Theater changed owners a few times. It was even renamed the Vista before it became the Desert Star Playhouse we know today.
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A Historic Building
The building where Desert Star Theater is located is quite old and important! It was built in 1930. This building is special because it helped Murray City grow. It was one of the first buildings to have a mix of fun things like a theater, shops, and even apartments all in one place. This was a common way for cities to grow in the early 1900s.
The Duvall family, who owned the Iris Theater, actually lived in the apartments above the shops. This building is also unique because it's the only commercial building in Murray built in the Art Deco style. Art Deco is a cool design style from the 1920s and 1930s. Even though it's not super fancy, the building looks really distinctive on State Street. It's in good shape and is an important part of Murray's history.
The Iris Theater: A Community Hub
When it first opened, the Iris Theater was considered very modern. It showed all kinds of movies, from big hits like "Gone with the Wind" to more unusual films. Sometimes, on Thursday nights, they even showed Swedish films especially for Swedish immigrants who came to Murray to work.
The theater also had a stage. This meant local groups could put on their own plays and shows there. The Iris Theater was a true community place. For example, Murray firefighters sometimes held their meetings there. Many young people from Murray, including Tony Duvall's own children, worked at the theater. During the Great Depression, a tough time when many people didn't have much money, Tony Duvall would sometimes let kids watch a movie for free. Or, they could get in by trading scrap metal!
Later, Tony Duvall and his partner Joe Lawrence built another theater nearby called the Murray Theater. In the 1940s, the Iris Theater would close during the summer. This was because the Murray Theater was bigger and cooler, so people preferred to watch movies there when it was hot.
Desert Star is Born
The Desert Star Theater started when a couple named Mike and Alyce Todd decided to put on a play. They performed their first show near This Is The Place Heritage Park. This play had all the funny and unique things that Desert Star shows are known for today.
After the summer ended, they needed an indoor place for their plays. They looked at the old Vista theater, which was closed down. They decided to take it over and renamed it the Desert Star Playhouse.
In the year 2000, after putting on many successful plays, the city of Murray told them the building needed big repairs. If they didn't fix it, the building might have to be torn down. The owner at the time wanted to tear it down, but the Todds decided to buy the theater themselves and fix it up.
Today, Desert Star Playhouse offers both dinner and Cabaret shows. This means you can enjoy a meal while watching a performance. They even perform two different shows in two different theaters at the same time!
What Makes Desert Star Special?
Desert Star is famous for its parody plays. A parody is a funny imitation of something well-known. So, they often make comedic spoofs of classic movies, stories, or even famous people. They are also known for including funny jokes about politics and things that happen in Utah. Their shows often have themes that relate to Utah life.
Each show at Desert Star ends with a musical olio. This is a fun musical number where the performers dress up in different costumes and sing and dance. It's a great way to end the show!
See also
