See inside Phoenix's upgraded Orpheum Theatre
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The Orpheum Theatre has new dome lighting and seating. Photo: Jessica Boehm/Axios
Phoenix's iconic Orpheum Theatre unveiled $5 million in upgrades last week as the city looks to equip the 96-year-old venue with cutting-edge modern technology.
Why it matters: The Orpheum is a point of pride for Phoenix because of its unique architecture and history and has been a labor of love since the city purchased it to save it from demolition in the 1980s, Phoenix Convention Center & Venues assistant director Bob Fingerman told Axios.
The big picture: The city sought to keep the old-world elegance of the theater while upgrading its technical capabilities so it can compete with the many other performing arts venues in the Valley.
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Catch up quick: The theater opened in 1929 as a live performance venue to cater to vaudeville shows traveling between Los Angeles and Denver. It was meant to mimic a garden, with murals of mountains on the walls and a blue-domed ceiling covered in clouds.
- In 1984, the theater was mostly used for movies and had fallen into disrepair. It was slated to be bulldozed to make way for a parking lot, but the City of Phoenix decided to purchase and incorporate it into plans for a new City Hall facility.
- Since then, the city has invested millions of dollars to restore the theater to its former glory. It now welcomes Broadway-style plays, concerts, spoken-word performances, film showings and more.
State of play: The latest upgrades include new seating and lighting that allows for spectacular light effects on the domed ceiling.
- Because the old seats had bulky frames, the city was able to both make the seats bigger and add more, Fingerman said.
My thought bubble: At the unveiling last week, I got to see how the new lighting and surround-sound system elevate the spectator experience. It was truly as impressive as any modern venue I've visited.
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