Orpheum Theater (New Orleans, Louisiana)
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Orpheum Theatre
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Orpheum Theater in 2007
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| Location: | 125--129 University Pl., New Orleans, Louisiana |
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| Coordinates: | 29°57′16″N 90°4′21″W / 29.95444°N 90.0725°WCoordinates: 29°57′16″N 90°4′21″W / 29.95444°N 90.0725°W |
| Area: | 0.3 acres (0.12 ha) |
| Built: | 1918 |
| Architectural style: | Beaux Arts |
| Governing body: | Private |
| NRHP Reference#: | 82002787[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | August 11, 1982 |
The Orpheum Theater is a theater in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. Also known as RKO Orpheum, it was esigned by G. Albert Lansburgh,[2] built in 1918, and opened for vaudeville in 1921. The Beaux Arts style building has 1800 seats. Soon after opening it became a movie house. In 1979, the Orpheum was scheduled for demolition but was rescued and underwent a $3 million renovation. It reopened in 1989 as home to the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, whose musicians prize the auditorium for its acoustical purity.[3] The theater is an example of "vertical hall" construction, initially built to provide perfect sight lines and acoustics for vaudeville shows which didn't have the benefit of amplifiers or modern lighting.[4] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The theater was placed on the Louisiana Landmarks Society’s list of New Orleans’ most endangered sites in 2009.
The Orpheum Theatre was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina floodwaters[5][6] and was sold to a Dallas businessman [3]. It was then sold to Axiom Global Properties in 2011 (formerly Orpheum Properties, Inc.) with plans to restore the property[7].
[edit] References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
- ^ Cinema Treasures | Orpheum Theatre
- ^ a b New Orleans Times-Picayune, July 7, 2006, p. 1
- ^ New Orleans - Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
- ^ Gambit Weekly : Cover Story : July 4, 2006
- ^ Opera mixes it up- NOLA.com
- ^ Orpheum Theater - History
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Orpheum Theater, New Orleans |
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