Orpheum Theatre (Minneapolis)
Orpheum Theatre is a theater located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is one of four restored theaters on Hennepin Avenue, along with the Pantages Theatre, the State Theatre and the Shubert Theatre (now The Cowles Center). The building opened on October 16, 1921, originally named the Hennepin Theater. The theater actually consists of two separate structures: a long, fingerlike lobby that extends back from a narrow facade along Hennepin Avenue, and the auditorium, which is set back and parallels Hawthorne Avenue. The restored lobby includes six terra cotta bas relief sculptures. The auditorium is intricately plastered, with  a number of garlands, swags, medallions, and other decorations. The ceiling has a dome with 30,000 squares of aluminum leaf. The building seats 1500 on the main floor and 1100 on the three level balcony. Several musicals, including "Victor/Victoria", "The Lion King", and "The 101 Dalmatians Musical" premiered at the Orpheum. In 1988, the Orpheum was sold by Bob Dylan (who owned it from 1979-1988) to the City of Minneapolis; it was renovated and reopened in 1993. In 2005, the city transferred ownership of its theaters to the Hennepin Theatre Trust. Historic Theatre Group's original partner was  Jujamcyn Productions. SFX (now Live Nation) bought Jujamcyn Productions in 2000. Live Nation sold most of its theatrical properties, including its Minneapolis operations, to Key Brand Entertainment in 2008. 1993 Renovation and reopening. After being purchased by the Minneapolis Community Development Agency from Bob Dylan and his brother David Zimmerman in 1988, the Minneapolis City Council had an interest in revitalizing Hennepin Avenue as an entertainment street. The nearby State Theatre had been renovated and reopened in 1991, but the Orpheum had a deeper stage that would allow larger sets needed for shows such as Miss Saigon, which was scheduled  to open on January 14, 1994. The city agreed to finance the renovation, issuing bonds to be paid back with a $2 surcharge on tickets for the Orpheum and State. The renovation cost $10 million dollars. Phase 1. The first phase of renovation begun in January 1993, and involved expanding the stage by 20 feet, adding more dressing rooms, renovating the restrooms, and making the theater handicap accessible. Change of plans. Aesthetic improvements (cleaning the facade; restoring the lobby) were planned to be made in a second phase, but during phase 1, a terra cotta wall was found  behind a plain wall in the vestibule, 85 percent intact. A laborer knocked through a layer of plain plaster and found plaster sculptural reliefs of griffins and urns. Comedy Musicals