Orpheum Theatre (Los Angeles)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Los Angeles Theater | |
 |
|
| The Orpheum Theatre marquee | |
|---|---|
| Address |
842 South Broadway
|
| City |
Los Angeles
|
| Country | USA |
| Architect | G. Albert Lansburgh |
| Capacity | 2000 |
| Opened | February 15, 1926 |
| Rebuilt | 1989 |
| Current use | concerts, movie premiers, location shoots |
| www.laorpheum.com/ | |
The Orpheum Theatre on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles, California, opened on February 15, 1926 as the fourth and final Los Angeles venue for the Orpheum vaudeville circuit.[1] After a $3 million renovation, started in 1989, it is the most restored of the historical movie palaces in the city.
The Orpheum has a Beaux Arts facade designed by movie theater architect G. Albert Lansburgh and has a Mighty Wurlitzer organ, installed in 1928, one of three pipe organs remaining in Southern California venues. [1]
Soon after it was opened, it was a popular venue for burlesque queen Sally Rand, the Marx Brothers, Will Rogers, Judy Garland (singing with her family as Francis "Baby" Gumm) and comedian Jack Benny, as well as jazz greats Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. In the 1960s the theatre held rock and roll concerts featuring Little Richard, Aretha Franklin and Little Stevie Wonder. The restored Orpheum Theatre is now a venue for live concerts, movie premieres and location shoots.[2] Broadcasts of American Idol and filming of The Last Action Hero and Transformers were hosted here. The Orpheum also appeared as a area in the 2007 Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. The love metal band HIM also played there for they're CD/DVD live album Digital Versatile Doom.
The Orpheum theatres are named for the Greek god Orpheus.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Geffner, David (January/February 2008), “Screen Gems”, Westways 100 (1): 62-65
- ^ Orpheum Theatre History. Retrieved on 2008-01-18.
