Now on the Historic Register, the Orpheum opened in 1929 as a movie/vaudeville
house. The Orpheum was a magnificent Spanish Baroque palace, with ornate
balconies and side boxes, wall murals, and 'atmospherics'. The
'atmospheric' style was intended to give the audience the illusion of being out
of doors. The Orpheum's domed ceiling was illuminated by effects
projectors masquerading as stars, clouds, and even the moon. The rebirth
of the Orpheum was a combination of renovation and restoration. The
lavishly decorated audience chamber, which had been badly damaged in an earlier
incarnation, was restored to its original grandeur along with the lobbies and
other public spaces. The dressing rooms and backstage support spaces
were remodeled, and a completely new stage-house was built to meet modern
production requirements. Landry & Bogan designed state-of-the-art lighting and rigging systems and developed ways to restore the atmospheric lighting and bring the house lighting up to modern standards. We also had to develop new lighting positions within the domed ceiling without violating the 'sky' effect, which was accomplished by the addition of a light bridge within an unobtrusive slot in the dome. We provided seating and sight-line layouts for the new main floor configuration and consulted extensively on exiting and handicapped access. In addition, we assisted the City and architect van Dijk, Pace, Westlake and Associates with cost estimating and general consulting relative to theatrical function. The project opened with Carol Channing in "Hello Dolly" in January 1997. Architect: Mr. Paul Westlake, Van Dijk Westlake Reed Leskosky 1 East Camelback, Ste. 690, Phoenix, AZ, 85012, 602-212-0451
Construction data: Construction cost $14 million, opened January 1997.
