Orpheum Theatre (Memphis)
| Orpheum Theatre Group | |
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| Address | 203 South Main Street Memphis, Tennessee, USA United States |
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| Operator | Orpheum Theatre Group |
| Type | Performing arts center |
| Capacity | 2,308 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1928 |
| Reopened | 1984 |
| Website | |
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Orpheum Theatre
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| Location | 203 South Main Street |
| Coordinates | 35°8′24″N 90°3′19″W / 35.14000°N 90.05528°WCoordinates: 35°8′24″N 90°3′19″W / 35.14000°N 90.05528°W |
| Architect | C.W. Rapp and George L. Rapp |
| Architectural style | Renaissance |
| NRHP Reference # | 77001289 |
| Added to NRHP | August 15, 1977 |
The Orpheum Theatre, a 2,308-seat venue listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, on the southwest corner of the intersection of South Main and Beale streets. The Orpheum, along with the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education, compose the Orpheum Theatre Group, a nonprofit corporation that relies on philanthropic support in order to sustain its education programs, quality programming, community vitality, and preservation.
Originally built as a vaudeville house in 1928 to replace the fire-ravished Grand Opera House, which had been located on the same site, the Orpheum has been the Mid-South home of touring Broadway productions since 1977. In addition to the Broadway Series, the Orpheum Theatre Group’s two venues also host performances by Ballet Memphis, various concerts, comedians, a summer movie series, a family series of educational programs, and local cultural and community events such as Memphis in May, International Blues Challenge, and special Elvis Week events. These performances, along with the theater’s numerous educational offerings, are an integral component of the continued revitalization of downtown Memphis.
Since it first opened in 1928, the Orpheum has dazzled patrons with its artisan millwork, gilding, original fixtures, a Mighty Wurlitzer organ, and architectural beauty. Saved by the Memphis Development Foundation (MDF) in 1977, the Orpheum was one of the first buildings in Memphis placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Under the leadership of the MDF, in the last 35 years the Orpheum has undergone more than $15 million in renovation and improvements that have made it a world-class performing arts facility while preserving the historical and architectural integrity of the vaudeville palace.
The Orpheum Theatre, located at 203 S. Main St., opened its doors on November 19, 1928. Designed by architects C.W. and George Rapp of Chicago, the Orpheum seats just over 2,300 people and features glittering gold and silver leaf, marble, lush carpets, and antique crystal chandeliers. The theater boasts a Wurlitzer organ.
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