I have some intimate knowledge of the Orpheum. My dad was the head of house maintenance for most of the 90s (head being relative as he had 1-2 guys below him, and sometimes that guy was me). It took a lot just to keep it running. It was cool to be able to see almost every aspect of the building, though I never went into the service area in the ceiling. Didn’t like the possibility of a long drop should there be a structural deficiency.
To answer a few questions: the building is owned by the Druker Company while the theatre is operated by LN. As far as the projection booth is concerned, last time I was there (a long time ago) the equipment was not in working condition. Whether that has changed I don’t know.
R. Noyes – My dad would be burning up at hearing about the condition of the seats. That was his biggest pet peeve while he was there. He actually ordered seats from a former theatre in Vermont just so he had the parts to fix them, even though they would fall apart anyway. He once had to fix a seat in the front row while Bob Dylan was performing, and managed to draw Mr. Zimmerman’s scorn because he now had to sing over power tools! But those seats would be fixed!
I wonder if the 5th floor of the backstage is still the way I last saw it. Last time I was up there, it was all beer bottles and organ pipes. So many stories, so little space.
I have some intimate knowledge of the Orpheum. My dad was the head of house maintenance for most of the 90s (head being relative as he had 1-2 guys below him, and sometimes that guy was me). It took a lot just to keep it running. It was cool to be able to see almost every aspect of the building, though I never went into the service area in the ceiling. Didn’t like the possibility of a long drop should there be a structural deficiency.
To answer a few questions: the building is owned by the Druker Company while the theatre is operated by LN. As far as the projection booth is concerned, last time I was there (a long time ago) the equipment was not in working condition. Whether that has changed I don’t know.
R. Noyes – My dad would be burning up at hearing about the condition of the seats. That was his biggest pet peeve while he was there. He actually ordered seats from a former theatre in Vermont just so he had the parts to fix them, even though they would fall apart anyway. He once had to fix a seat in the front row while Bob Dylan was performing, and managed to draw Mr. Zimmerman’s scorn because he now had to sing over power tools! But those seats would be fixed!
I wonder if the 5th floor of the backstage is still the way I last saw it. Last time I was up there, it was all beer bottles and organ pipes. So many stories, so little space.