REGISTRATION IS CLOSED FOR THIS EVENT
BACKSTAGE, STORIES, EVENTS AND HISTORY AT THE ORPHEUM THEATER
409 S. 16th Street
Wednesday, October 16th
11:00am – 12:00 - Tour
12:00pm – 1:00pm – Lunch
Cost: $15
PREPAY BY CASH, CC, CHECK, FASTPASS
PAY BY PAYPAL HERE
Please reserve your spot no later than October 9.
The Orpheum opened in 1927. It was home to vaudeville performers during the early days. It became a movie theater in the 1960s. Jerry Lewis was the last known live performer in 1961, before the Orpheum transitioned into a movie house.
For the rest of the 1960s and into the early 1970s, it served as a movie theater. The building fell into disrepair during that time. It closed in 1971. In 1973, The Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben bought the building and put in $2 million to renovate it. The Knights offered it to the city on the condition that the theater be used for plays, musicals, etc. The Orpheum reopened in 1975.
Today, the Orpheum is professionally managed by Omaha Performing Arts. The Orpheum underwent a major $10 million renovation in 2002 and the ornate splendor of this magnificent theater was enhanced to better serve patrons and artists. Recent renovations have restored its ornate splendor - and enhanced acoustics and views.
Our Tour Guide will be Jeff Brown, the Assistant Production Manager for the Orpheum Theater. Jeff is following in the footsteps of his father, the late Al Brown, who managed the Orpheum from 1974 to 1996. Jeff grew up backstage at the Orpheum, and continues to assume responsibility and care of the Orpheum today.
