Orpheum Theatre
200 N. Broadway,
Wichita,
KS
67202
200 N. Broadway,
Wichita,
KS
67202
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Showing 26 - 34 of 34 comments
Lost Memory,
Thanks for posting my picture. It is one of my favorites I ever took.
Keith Wondra
A complete history and vintage color pictures of the Orpheum can be found on the link below;
View link
Here is some information about the restoration in the 1980s:
http://tinyurl.com/y7luaj
Here is a recent photo of the Orpheum Theatre.
View link
I am doing my Masters Thesis on the Orpheum Theatre in Wichita. I happy to hear some memories of people who worked there and/or visited there. It is currently being restored but it is going slowly. The good news is that it is still open. They air movies and have concerts there.
Tour of Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas Theatres in 2004
From June 26 through July 1, 2004 the Theatre Historical Society of America will tour a number of theatres in Kansas City Missouri and surrounding areas, including theatres in Lamar, Joplin, Richmond, St. Joseph and Springfield, MO, as well as Miami, OK, and these cities in Kansas: Leavenworth, Kansas City, Emporia, El Dorado, Augusta, Wichita, Hutchinson, McPherson, Salina, Concordia, and Topeka. More information is contained on their web site: http://www.HistoricTheatres.org and special photos and information concerning the Kansas City theatres: UPTOWN and the MIDLAND is available on this temporary page of their site at: http://www2.hawaii.edu/~angell/thsa/fromarch.html A glossy brochure about this “Heart of America” Conclave is available from the Society’s headquarters listed on their homepage, via E-mail to the Ex. Director, or via snail mail. Membership in the Society is not required to attend the Conclave and tour the theatres, but fees do apply as detailed on their site. Bring your camera and lots of film, for it is usually difficult or impossible to enter these theatres for photos, and some of them will surely not be with us in the years to come.
The Orpheum Theatre did NOT close in 1965. In 1969, I worked at the Miller Theatre, 1 block South of the Orpheum on Broadway. I was assigned to work several major events at the Orpheum: Indianapolis 500 & heavyweight boxing bouts were closedcircuit televised.
The Miller Theatre was the Queen of Wichita movie houses at that time, with seating for 2,000 including a Loge, First, Second & Third Balconies. A 3-story marble foyer w/chandielier (I know how high it was from changing light bulbs). The Miller debuted such 1969 blockbusters as “The Midnight Cowboy” and “The Love Bug” (got to drive the local Love Bug!!).
The Miller was also the Wichita office of National General Theatres (later NGC), where box office attendance was reported each evening. Other NG theatres at the time included the Orpheum, The Uptown, and The Boulevard. This was a time of transition for theatres in Wichita. The Wichita Theatre in the 100 block of E. Douglas was being razed, and by 1972 the Fox had been built to the West (on Waterman?) and shortly, the Mall Cinema was built on Harry St. The Miller was soon razed to become a bank parking garage!!!
While I worked at the Miller Theatre, Bill Warren, current Wichita Theatre mogul, was Manager. Additional theatres I worked at were The Boulevard, The Mall Cinema, The Uptown (Asst. Mgr.) and The Westway (House Mgr.).
Joe B.
The Orpheum Theatre is located at 200 N. Broadway and it seated 1659 people when it was a movie theatre.
They have a website at http://www.wichitaorpheum.com.