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Astro Theater
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| Location: | Omaha, Nebraska |
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| Built: | 1926 |
| Architect: | Unknown |
| Architectural style: | Classical Revival, Exotic Revival, Other |
| Governing body: | Private |
| NRHP Reference#: |
74001108 [1] |
| Added to NRHP: | August 13, 1974 |
The Astro Theater originally opened as The Riviera and is currently known as the Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center or The Rose. It is located at 2001 Farnam Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1926 in a combination of both Moorish and Classical styles, the building was rehabilitated in 1986.[2]
Originally noted for lavish stage shows combined with movies, the Riviera was regarded as one of the most elegant entertainment facilities in the Midwest. John Eberson, a nationally notable architect, built the theater as an example of the "atmospheric" theater popular during the 1920s. In a style created by Eberson, these atmospheric theaters simulated romantic outdoor Mediterranean courtyards with a night sky above, including twinkling stars and drifting clouds.[3]
The exterior of the building features a large copper domed tower, flanked by two smaller towers of similar detailing. The diamond-patterned brick facades contain oriel windows, elaborate cornices, glazed terra-cotta tile copings, and a series of free-standing columns which support griffins.[4]
Creighton University sold the Astro Theater to Rose Blumkin of the Nebraska Furniture Mart on June 24, 1981.[5] In the early 1990s it was renovated and transformed into the Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center and currently serves as the home of the Emmy Gifford Children's Theater.[6][7]