Sioux City Orpheum
520 Pierce Street,
Sioux City,
IA
51104
520 Pierce Street,
Sioux City,
IA
51104
4 people
favorited this theater
Related Websites
OrpheumLive.com (Official)
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Orpheum Circuit, RKO
Architects: George W. Leslie Rapp
Firms: Rapp & Rapp
Functions: Concerts, Movies, Performing Arts
Styles: Baroque, French Renaissance
Previous Names: Orpheum Theatre
Nearby Theaters
News About This Theater
- Mar 25, 2012 — A passion for theater at the Orpheum
- Nov 20, 2009 — Original murals restored, reinstalled at Sioux City's Orpheum
- Feb 19, 2004 — Sioux City Riviera Twin to Reopen
The second Orpheum Theatre was located on Nebraska Street, built around 1919, and designed by architect George Leslie Rapp with 1,456 seats. The new Sioux City Orpheum Theatre was constructed in 1927 and opened on December 19, 1927 as part of the Orpheum Circuit. It was designed by architectural firm Rapp & Rapp.
This opulent vaudeville and moving picture house boasted a large 2,650-seat, three-story auditorium complete with Wurlitzer pipe organ, half circle boxes, hand carved detailing, gilded ornamentation, several crystal chandeliers, and a hand painted ceiling.
Throughout the years, the Orpheum Theatre has been used for symphony performances, ballet, special attractions, and hosted entertainers such as Fred Astaire, Tallulah Bankhead, and Katherine Hepburn.
Beginning in 1999, the Orpheum Theatre was spectacularly restored to its original appearance, reopening in fall of 2001 after having been closed for nearly a decade.
Contributed by
Jeff Henjes
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Recent comments (view all 20 comments)
An excellent article with background information can be found on this link from Architecture Week: View link
Does anyone have any information on the old Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City? Apparently Rapp & Rapp designed a theatre in Sioux City around 1917.
The Fall 2008 issue of Classic Trains Magazine has a neat color photo taken in May 1948 of two Sioux City Service Co. trolley cars meeting at Turner and Villa streets. One car has on its front a poster ad for the Orpheum Theatre. Movies are Frank Sinatra in “The Miracle of the Bells” plus “co-hit” “My Dog Rusty”.
Here is a 1966 photo from Life Magazine:
http://tinyurl.com/6xum85
The Orpheum Theater at the corner of 6th & Pierce is actually the third theatre in Sioux City. The second building was known as The Capitol and was remodled by Rapp & Rapp after the building of the present day Orpheum. They did not design the theatre on Nebraska Street, only the theatre on Pierce. I worked at the Orheum from the early 1960’s to the 1970’s and writing a book.
PaulWolter the first Orpheum was the Victory Theatre or originally named: Lyric Theatre.
2 screens opening on June 18th, 1982. Ad in the photo section.
Opened with on screen 1 with “Grease 2” and on screen 2 with “Bambi”.
This theatre building looks like a department store or office building from the outside(besides the theatre sign)!!
Someone needs to create listings for the other two Orpheums, and the photos belonging to those should be moved there. Any reference to them in this listing should be removed. I do not think this was ever called the ‘Sioux City Orpheum’ before it was restored.