Gillioz Theatre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Gillioz Theater
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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The newly renovated Gillioz Theatre in the Park Central East Street and the neighboring Fine Arts Building
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 Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Location | 325 Park Central E., Springfield, Missouri |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1926 |
| Architect | Larsen, L.P.; Jacobs, Fred |
| Architectural style | Mission/spanish Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 91000887 |
| Added to NRHP | July 9, 1991 |
The Gillioz Theatre is a historic building in Springfield, Missouri. It was built by M. E. Gillioz, who was known for building bridges. Because of this, the theater was made mostly of strong steel and concrete. Only small parts like handrails and doors used wood.
The Gillioz Theatre first opened its doors on October 11, 1926. It was built right next to U.S. Route 66, a famous old highway. This helped many travelers stop by and enjoy shows. The theater was very popular for many years. However, it closed down in the summer of 1980 after its last show, which was an opera.
The theater was designed to show both silent movies and live performances. It had a special Wurlitzer pipe organ for silent films. This organ had many pipes and sound effects! It was sold when the theater closed in 1980. Later, in 1928, a sound system was added for "talkies" – movies with sound.
Today, the Gillioz Theatre is a popular place for concerts and shows. Many famous artists have performed there. These include Dave Chappelle, Elvis Costello, George Clinton, and Kacey Musgraves. The theater can hold over 1,000 people for shows. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
Movie Premieres at the Gillioz
The Gillioz Theatre was a special place for movies. It even hosted the very first showings, called premieres, for three films:
- 1938 January 14: “Swing Your Lady” starring Humphrey Bogart and Penny Singleton.
- 1952 June 6: “The Winning Team" with Ronald Reagan.
- 1952 July 4: “She’s Working Her Way Through College,” also starring Ronald Reagan.
Interesting Stories
Many famous people have visited the Gillioz Theatre. One time, Elvis Presley spent an afternoon watching a movie there. This was after he finished sound checks for a show at the nearby Shrine Mosque.
Some people wonder if the old theater is haunted. A true story is that on New Year's Eve in 1962, the projectionist passed away while working. This happened just before a midnight movie was supposed to start. Because of this, the theater is a favorite spot for groups who investigate paranormal activities.
Restoring the Gillioz Theatre
The Gillioz Theatre is now run by a non-profit group. This group works to keep the theater in good shape. They also want to bring music, comedy, movies, and education to the people of the Ozarks.
Restoration work on the theater began in 1990. It was finally finished in 2006. The lobby and main show area were made to look just like they did in 1926. Eighty years after it first opened, the Gillioz had a big reopening party in October 2006. It was called Encore 2006.
Since then, the Gillioz has become a very popular place. It has been named a top event venue by local magazines. In 2017, the Academy of Country Music even named it one of the top 5 event venues in the country for its size. Other famous venues on that list included the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Reagan Center
The Gillioz Theatre and another building nearby are together known as the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Center. The theater was chosen for this name because of Ronald Reagan's acting career. He starred in two movies that premiered at the Gillioz.
