Orpheum Theatre (Sioux City, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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New Orpheum Theatre
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The main stage and curtain at the Sioux City Orpheum
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 528 Pierce St. Sioux City, Iowa |
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| Built | 1927 |
| Architect | Rapp & Rapp |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, French Renaissance |
| NRHP reference No. | 00000919 |
| Added to NRHP | August 25, 2000 |
The Orpheum Theatre, also known as New Orpheum Theatre, is a famous performing arts center. You can find it at 528 S. Pierce Street in Sioux City, Iowa. It was built in 1927 to host vaudeville shows and movies. Today, after being restored in 1999, it is the home of the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra.
The Theatre's Early Days
The Sioux City Orpheum was designed by a well-known company from Chicago called Rapp & Rapp. It was built in 1927 as part of the Orpheum Circuit, a group of theatres across the country. A local Sioux City businessman, Arthur Sanford, was the main builder.
This theatre was one of the biggest in Iowa when it opened. It cost a lot of money to build, about $1.75 million! This grand theatre was a place for vaudeville acts and movies. It had a huge auditorium with 2,650 seats spread over three floors.
Inside, the theatre was very fancy. It had a special Wurlitzer pipe organ and half-circle boxes for seating. You could see hand-carved details and shiny gold decorations everywhere. Several sparkling crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The ceiling itself was hand-painted, making the theatre feel truly magical. Over the years, the Orpheum hosted symphony concerts, ballet shows, and many famous entertainers. Stars like Fred Astaire, Tallulah Bankhead, and Katharine Hepburn performed here.
Bringing the Orpheum Back to Life
Over many years, the theatre was changed in ways that weren't very good. For example, in 1982, the large theatre was split into two smaller movie rooms. A wall was built right down the middle of the main aisle. These smaller movie theatres stayed open until 1992. Then, for the first time in 65 years, the Orpheum closed its doors.
Luckily, a big project began in 1999 to restore the theatre. Ray Shepardson, a famous theatre restoration expert, led the work. Architect Ed Storm from FEH DESIGN in Sioux City also helped. The restoration cost nearly $12 million. During the work, something amazing happened. Three of the original crystal chandeliers were found still in good shape above a false ceiling!
One of the hardest parts of the restoration was rebuilding the balcony and the special loge boxes. This part took four months and used 40,000 pounds of steel! When the theatre reopened in the fall of 2001, it looked incredible. A reporter named Robert Morast wrote that the Orpheum felt like "an upper-class theater ripped out of an old black-and-white movie and given a Technicolor treatment." He said the atmosphere alone was worth seeing.
The Orpheum Theatre officially reopened to the public on September 15, 2001. Since then, many popular performers have appeared there. These include Bill Cosby, Sheryl Crow, B.B. King, Bob Dylan, Olivia Newton-John, Wynton Marsalis, and David Copperfield. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. This means it's recognized as an important historical place.
See also
- Movie palaces list
