Orpheum Theatre (Champaign, Illinois) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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New Orpheum Theatre
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(2012)
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | 346-352 N. Neil St. Champaign, Illinois |
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| Built | 1914 |
| Architect | Rapp & Rapp |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 91000085 |
| Added to NRHP | February 28, 1991 |
The Orpheum Theater opened its doors in Champaign, Illinois, in 1914. It was built where an older vaudeville theater used to be. This amazing building was designed by a famous company called Rapp & Rapp. The Orpheum, also known as The New Orpheum, was special because it could host both live vaudeville shows and movie screenings.
After many changes and new owners, the Orpheum showed its last movie in 1986. Luckily, it was saved from being torn down in 1991. Today, the Orpheum is home to a fun place for kids, the Orpheum Children's Science Museum. The building is also being carefully restored to its former glory.
Contents
Designing a Grand Theater
The Orpheum is one of the earliest examples of a building made just for movies. It was an early project for the well-known architecture firm Rapp & Rapp. This company later designed many famous American "Movie Palaces" in the early 1900s.
George Leslie Rapp, who studied at the University of Illinois School of Architecture, started Rapp & Rapp with his brother Corneilus. They designed over 400 theaters! Some of their famous works include the Chicago Theatre (1921), the Michigan Theatre in Detroit (1926), and the Paramount Theater in New York City (1926).
Rapp and Rapp designed the Orpheum to look like a smaller version of the opera house at the Palace of Versailles in France. The next year, they designed another theater, the Al. Ringling Theatre in Baraboo, Wisconsin, which also looked like the Versailles opera house. However, the Ringling family spent a lot more money on fancy decorations for their theater!
The inside of the Orpheum was designed in a French Renaissance and Baroque style. The outside looked more like Classical Revival architecture. It had 754 seats and 18 special "loge boxes" for a more private viewing experience.
The theater was owned by Joseph M. Finn and Marcus Heiman. The building cost between $65,000 and $70,000 to build. Work started in May 1914. Special companies were hired to create the beautiful drapes, decorations, and scenery.
Vaudeville and Early Shows
The Orpheum opened on October 19, 1914. The first night began with the New Orpheum orchestra playing patriotic songs. The mayor of Champaign gave a speech, praising the theater's beauty. Then, five amazing vaudeville acts performed. The main star was singer and comedian Herman Timberg. The evening ended with a movie! The theater's first manager was C. S. Harris.
The Orpheum was a major stop for vaudeville shows in Champaign and Urbana. It was part of the famous Orpheum Circuit, a group of theaters that hosted top performers. Many well-known vaudeville stars performed there, including:
- Trixie Friganza
- Red Skelton
- Harry Houdini (in 1923)
- Will Rogers (in 1915)
- The Marx Brothers (in 1918)
- Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (in 1921)
- Jack Benny (in 1922)
- Bob Hope (in 1928)
- Burns & Allen (in 1929)
Besides live shows, the Orpheum also showed many classic films. Some of these included Birth of A Nation (1916), Intolerance (1917), City Lights (1931), Gone With the Wind (1940 & 1968), and Dumbo (1941).
During the Orpheum's vaudeville days, part of the theater's second floor was a place where people could stay. It often welcomed African Americans when other local hotels wouldn't, which was a sad reality of that time.
Becoming a Movie Theater
In the 1920s, RKO Pictures started running the Orpheum Theatre. Under RKO's management, the theater began showing more and more movies instead of live vaudeville acts. In 1967, the theater got a big makeover. They added a modern aluminum front and redid the lobby.
In 1971, GKC Theaters bought the Orpheum. The theater was struggling to make money. In 1982, GKC tried to turn the Orpheum into an "art house" showing special, artistic films. This didn't work out. The Orpheum briefly went back to showing new, popular movies. But finally, it closed in 1986. The last movie shown was the slasher film April Fool's Day.
Saving the Orpheum and the Children's Museum
After the theater closed, it started to fall apart. In 1989, a local group called the Champaign Preservation and Conservation Association (PACA) held a meeting. They wanted to see if people were interested in saving the Orpheum. The City of Champaign bought the Orpheum and the building next to it in 1990.
The city let 45 PACA volunteers work on the building. In July 1990, they removed the aluminum front to see the original look of the theater. This helped them check for any damage. PACA then hired an expert who suggested that a children's museum would be a great use for the building. Champaign didn't have a children's museum, and there were already other successful performing arts places nearby.
In 1991, the city tore down the warehouse next to the Orpheum. Later that year, PACA cleaned and painted the theater's front. They also fixed up the marquee, which is the sign above the entrance. A special painting was added above the entrance to make it look like the original fancy trim. In 1994, the Orpheum Children's Science Museum officially opened its doors!
Today, the museum has many fun, hands-on exhibits. It also offers different camps and clubs for kids. The museum's leaders have talked about either moving or making the current building bigger. In 2013, their long-term plans focused on expanding the museum right where it is.
Air-Maze Project
In the summer of 2014, a teacher from University Laboratory High School (Uni High), Sharlene Denos, met with the museum's leaders. They discussed a project that her students could do with the museum. Within six months, her students created the "Air-Maze" project. As of March 2017, this cool addition is still at the museum for visitors to enjoy.
