The MVWC Museum and Special Events Group toured the Orpheum Theatre, located at 203 West Adams Street in Phoenix, AZ, on May 3rd. The Orpheum Theatre opened January 5, 1929, with a banner across the front page of the Arizona Republican stating “Orpheum Theater Opening Marks Enoch In City History”. The Orpheum was owned by J.E. Richards and Harry Nace, who had a chain of 17 theaters, but the Orpheum was the most elegant and sophisticated theatre anywhere in Arizona. These types of theatres were often called vaudeville or movie palaces. All movies shown were of the new talking variety, which resulted in the installation of Vitaphone and Movietone; a synchronized sound system. There were many owners over the years. The last person to purchase the Orpheum was a developer, Jim Kaufman, who was experienced in restoring historical buildings. Then Mayor Terry Goddard and his newly formed historic preservation task force thought it would be a great opportunity for the City to buy the theatre. Once the developer became aware of this, he believed the City could do more to restore the theatre than a private investor could, so he purchased the property and turned his negotiated deal over to the City in 1954, without making a profit. The restoration project took over 12 years to complete, due to funding issues and reopened January 18,1997. This outing was so very special and amazing! We actually had a very knowledgeable docent and two very kind volunteers that guided us through the history and every inch of the Theatre.
