Orpheum Theatre (Boston, Massachusetts)
Encyclopedia
The Orpheum Theatre is a music venue located at 1 Hamilton Place in Boston, Massachusetts. One of the oldest theaters in the United States, it was built in 1852 and was originally known as the Boston Music Hall
, the original home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
. The concert hall was converted for use as a vaudeville
theater in 1900. It was renamed the Orpheum Theatre in 1906. In 1915, the Orpheum was acquired by Loew's Theatres
and substantially rebuilt. As of 2011, it operates as a mixed-use hall, for live music concerts.
Note: The theater has no connection with Boston's "Music Hall", which is now known as the Citi Performing Arts Center
.
. Loew's reopened the Orpheum in 1916 with a completely new interior designed by architect Thomas W. Lamb
.
Operated by Loew's, the theater was at first a combination vaudeville and movie theater and later a straight first-run movie house until closing in the late 1960s. Since the 1970s, it has functioned as a multi-use music venue. From 1975 to 1979, the Orpheum served as the home of the Opera Company of Boston
, under director Sarah Caldwell
, until that company moved to the current Boston Opera House
.
The Grateful Dead
's performances on November 30 and December 2, 1973, were recorded and later released as Dick's Picks Volume 14
. The Theatre played host to The Rolling Thunder Revue
on November 25, 1975, headed by Bob Dylan
. The Police
recorded the first half of their Live!
album, on November 27, 1979. U2
's performance in 1983 was recorded and broadcast on The King Biscuit Flower Hour
. In 1984, Aerosmith was united since Joe Perry and Brad Whitford left the band. Tin Machine
recorded a portion of their live album, entitled Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby
, here on November 20, 1991.
Currently, the theater is owned by the Drucker Realty Company. The contract to operate the Orpheum was acquired by Don Law, a Boston concert promoter, from the Live Nation
entertainment company, in 2009. Law has announced a major renovation for the theater, after which it is scheduled to reopen in late 2009.
The current entrance to the theater is the former alley entrance, replacing the original entrance on Washington Street, which was converted into retail space.
Boston Music Hall
The Boston Music Hall was a concert hall located on Winter Street in Boston, Massachusetts, with an additional entrance on Hamilton Place.One of oldest continuously operating theaters in the United States, it was built in 1852 and was the original home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The hall...
, the original home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
. The concert hall was converted for use as a vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
theater in 1900. It was renamed the Orpheum Theatre in 1906. In 1915, the Orpheum was acquired by Loew's Theatres
Loews Cineplex Entertainment
Loews Theatres, aka Loews Incorporated , founded in 1904 by Marcus Loew and Brantford Schwartz, was the oldest theater chain operating in North America until it merged with AMC Theatres on January 26, 2006. From 1924 until 1959, it was also the parent company of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. The...
and substantially rebuilt. As of 2011, it operates as a mixed-use hall, for live music concerts.
Note: The theater has no connection with Boston's "Music Hall", which is now known as the Citi Performing Arts Center
Citi Performing Arts Center
The Citi Performing Arts Center is located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It consists of two theatres, Wang Theatre and Shubert Theatre, both of which are neighbors, on Tremont Street, in Boston's Theatre District...
.
History
When the Boston Symphony moved to Symphony Hall in 1900, the Boston Music Hall closed. It was converted, for use as a vaudeville theater, in 1900 and operated under a number of different names, including the Music Hall and the Empire Theatre. In 1906, it was renamed the Orpheum Theatre. In 1915, the theater was acquired by the Loew's TheatresLoews Cineplex Entertainment
Loews Theatres, aka Loews Incorporated , founded in 1904 by Marcus Loew and Brantford Schwartz, was the oldest theater chain operating in North America until it merged with AMC Theatres on January 26, 2006. From 1924 until 1959, it was also the parent company of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. The...
. Loew's reopened the Orpheum in 1916 with a completely new interior designed by architect Thomas W. Lamb
Thomas W. Lamb
Thomas White Lamb was an American architect, born in Scotland. He is noted as one of the foremost designers of theaters and cinemas in the 20th century.-Career:...
.
Operated by Loew's, the theater was at first a combination vaudeville and movie theater and later a straight first-run movie house until closing in the late 1960s. Since the 1970s, it has functioned as a multi-use music venue. From 1975 to 1979, the Orpheum served as the home of the Opera Company of Boston
Opera Company of Boston
The Opera Company of Boston was an American opera company located in Boston, Massachusetts that was active during the late 1950s through the early 1990s. The company was founded by American conductor Sarah Caldwell in 1958 under the name Boston Opera Group. At one time, the touring arm of the...
, under director Sarah Caldwell
Sarah Caldwell
Sarah Caldwell was a notable American opera conductor, impresario, and stage director of opera.- Life :Caldwell was born in Maryville, Missouri, and grew up in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She was a child prodigy and gave public performances on the violin by the time she was ten years old...
, until that company moved to the current Boston Opera House
Boston Opera House (1980)
The Boston Opera House is a performing arts venue located at 538 Washington St. in Boston, Massachusetts. Originally built as a movie palace, it opened on October 29, 1928 and was rededicated in 1980 as a home for the Opera Company of Boston...
.
The Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
's performances on November 30 and December 2, 1973, were recorded and later released as Dick's Picks Volume 14
Dick's Picks Volume 14
Dick's Picks Volume 14 is the fourteenth live album in the Dick's Picks series of releases by the Grateful Dead. It was recorded on November 30 and December 2, 1973 at Boston Music Hall in Boston, Massachusetts...
. The Theatre played host to The Rolling Thunder Revue
Rolling Thunder Revue
The Rolling Thunder Revue was a famed U.S. concert tour consisting of a traveling caravan of musicians, headed by Bob Dylan, that took place in late 1975 and early 1976; the prevailing theory was that the tour was named after the Native American shaman Rolling Thunder. Others maintained that tour...
on November 25, 1975, headed by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
. The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
recorded the first half of their Live!
Live! (The Police album)
Live! was an album by The Police, released in 1995. Disc one contains almost the complete concert on November 27, 1979 at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. Disc two contains excerpts from two concerts on November 2–3, 1983 in Atlanta, Georgia at The Omni in the wake of the Synchronicity...
album, on November 27, 1979. U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's performance in 1983 was recorded and broadcast on The King Biscuit Flower Hour
King Biscuit Flower Hour
The King Biscuit Flower Hour was a syndicated radio show presented by the D.I.R. Radio Network that featured concert performances by various rock artists.-History:...
. In 1984, Aerosmith was united since Joe Perry and Brad Whitford left the band. Tin Machine
Tin Machine
Tin Machine was a hard rock band formed in 1988, famous for being fronted by singer David Bowie. The group recorded two studio albums before dissolving in 1992, when Bowie returned to his solo career...
recorded a portion of their live album, entitled Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby
Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby
Tin Machine Live: Oy Vey, Baby is a live album by Tin Machine originally released by London Records in 1992. It was to be the group's last release, and was recorded on the 1991–1992 It's My Life Tour. The title, suggested by Hunt Sales, was intended as a play on U2's album Achtung Baby.The album...
, here on November 20, 1991.
Currently, the theater is owned by the Drucker Realty Company. The contract to operate the Orpheum was acquired by Don Law, a Boston concert promoter, from the Live Nation
Live Nation
Live Nation is a live-events company based in Beverly Hills, California, focused on concert promotions. Live Nation formed in 2005 as a spin-off from Clear Channel Communications, which then merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 to become Live Nation Entertainment....
entertainment company, in 2009. Law has announced a major renovation for the theater, after which it is scheduled to reopen in late 2009.
The current entrance to the theater is the former alley entrance, replacing the original entrance on Washington Street, which was converted into retail space.