Orpheum Theater (Sioux Falls)

The Orpheum Theatre was founded by Frank and Lawrence Solari (operating as the Solari Brothers).[3] It was built over a period of several weeks in 1913 for a total price of $63,200 and officially opened on October 2 of that year.[lower-alpha 1][4][5] The theater mainly booked vaudeville acts during this period, most of which came in from Chicago or New York City. Notable performers at the Orpheum included Jack Benny; Stan Laurel; Edgar Bergen; Eddie Foy Sr. and his children, the Seven Little Foys; and Phil Baker.[2] A railroad spur was built to the backdoor of the auditorium that allowed performing companies to transport heavy equipment, props, and animals.[6] In 1919, the Orpheum Theatre was sold to the theatre management company Finklestein and Reuben, who employed the Minneapolis-based Liebenberg and Kaplan architectural firm to work on renovations.[2] At this time, various businesses occupied the flanking wings on either side of the theater's main entrance, and the top level served as apartments.[5]

In 1927, the Orpheum was purchased by Minnesota Amusement Company and was converted into a movie theater, which had become increasingly popular by that time. However, movies could not sustain the theater, and attendance at the Orpheum waned. The building gradually became unused and sat abandoned for decades.[2]

In 1954, the Sioux Falls Community Playhouse purchased and renovated the property, and it has been used as a stage theater since. Teen Theatre and Children's Theatre programs were arranged in 1961, later merging into the Young People's Theatre program. Further renovations were carried out in 1975 by Spitznagel Partners of Sioux Falls; this also descreased the available audience seating to 692.[5] On June 23, 1983, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its status as the oldest surviving theater in Sioux Falls, as well as its well-preserved architectural design.[2]

In 1994, the Sioux Falls Community Center purchased the King of Clubs building at 319 North Phillips, two plots to the south of the Orpheum, and renamed it the Anne Zabel Actor's Studio. The former King of Clubs building had been built in 1949 and had hosted a variety of businesses, most notably a club, but over the years also hosted a liquor store, flooring store, a tailor, travel agent, and several bars.[5] They intended to join that building to the Orpheum with the "Link to the Future", creating one large theater complex spanning the block; construction began in 1995. The Link, however, proved much more expensive to construct than the playhouse had anticipated, and the Sioux Falls Community Playhouse suffered financially. In 2000, the City of Sioux Falls purchased the Actor's Studio, the Orpheum Theater for $475,000, and the unfinished Link for $275,000 to prevent the complex from having to sell its furnishings and close. The Sioux Falls Community Playhouse organization still closed on April 30, 2002.[7]

The theater itself remained open and operational in the city's name, allowing outside groups to rent the theater for their shows. In 2005, the city announced it would set aside nearly $1.1 million for its renovations to begin the following year.[8] SMG was contracted to manage the theater at that time. On July 1, 2019, Washington Pavilion Management Inc. took over management; the company is so named for the nearby Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science, which it also oversees.[5]