Restoration and Renovation
When the Orpheum Theatre was built in the 1920's it was truly state of the art in every sense of the word. The audience chamber was designed to create the illusion of sitting in the courtyard of a Spanish villa, with views of a distant landscape above the sidewalls. Ornate plaster work inside and out exhibited the Spanish Medieval and Baroque architecture style.
Detailed arches, niches and columns were complimented by zodiac designs in the lobby door panels, a peacock design on the circular staircase, and an auditorium ceiling that changed from a golden sunset into a starry sky with moving clouds. Over the years the impressive wall murals were painted black, four of the seven proscenium “ropes” were removed to widen the stage, and much of the fabulous lobby and interior detail were painted neutral.
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Almost seven decades later that same Orpheum Theatre of 1929 was recreated into a modern building that met or exceeded all current laws and codes. The stagehouse was nearly doubled in size, with an orchestra lift that adjusts to three levels and even rises to form an extension to the stage. The floor of the auditorium was re-raked to give viewers a better angle of vision. An elevator was installed and wheelchair locations were incorporated to satisfy American Disabilities Act requirements. Even the pipe organ was reinstalled, only this time it was a Wurlitzer.
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Restored to its former beauty inside and out, the Orpheum Theatre quickly recaptured its previous stature as Arizona's best facility for live entertainment.
The Orpheum Theatre Today
The Orpheum Theatre is now an internationally recognized showcase for arts and entertainment. It is a home to music, dance, drama, comedy and everything in between, as the Orpheum’s first-rate acoustics, equipment, and accommodations for both the performers and patrons are without peer. The fully-staffed, state-of-the-art theater provides a unique theater-going experience like no other venue in the Southwest.