Elitch Theatre
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Elitch Theatre | |
|---|---|
| (U.S. National Register of Historic Places) | |
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| Location: | W 38th Avenue and Tennyson Street Denver, Colorado 80211 |
| Coordinates: | |
| Built/Founded: | 1890 |
| Architect: | Lee & Liden |
| Architectural style(s): | Shingle Style |
| Added to NRHP: | 21 March 1978 |
| Reference #: | 78000844 |
Elitch Theatre is an 1891 Shingle Style theatre located at the original Elitch Gardens site in northwest Denver, Colorado. It was home to the United States' oldest summer-stock theater company from 1897 until 1963. The theatre is currently undergoing renovation and will reopen as the Center for American Theatre at Historic Elitch Gardens.
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[edit] History
When Elitch Gardens opened in 1890, it had a round, open-sided theatre known as Playhouse in the Gardens. It grew into a larger, circular enclosure inspired by the Globe Theatre and finally into wooden octagon two stories high with a tent-shaped shingle roof crowned by a flag pole.[1]
The Elitch Theatre summer-stock company saw its first season in 1897 with leading man James O'Neill, a friend of park owner John Elitch who had promised in 1890 that he would return to act in John's new theater. The first show performed there was Helene.[2] The company became known for putting on ten plays in a ten-week season and attracting nationally-known stars for its season.
Sarah Bernhardt came to Denver for the 1906 season after the San Francisco earthquake destroyed the theatre she had been scheduled to perform at that summer; at Elitch's she played "Camille" in matinees and "LaSorcier" at night. Douglas Fairbanks was hired into the ensemble that same season.
With the purchase of Elitch Gardens by John Mulvihill in 1916, Mary Elitch stepped down from control of the theater and summer stock company but among the purchase conditions is a stipulation that two lower boxes would always be reserved in her name. Mulvihill oversees the theatre until his death in 1930 and is succeeded by his son-in-law Arnold Gurtler.[2]
In 1953, the theatre was used for two days filming The Glenn Miller Story.[1] The Elitch Theatre stopped operating as a summer-stock company in 1963 and switched to single, star-centered performances. Its last performance season was 1987 and the theatre closed in 1991. The Elitch Gardens amusement park moved to a central Platte Valley location in 1994 and the original Elitch property was sold to Perry Affordable Housing in 1996 with the condition that the theater never be demolished.[2][3]
The Historic Elitch Gardens Theatre Foundation was formed in 2002 to restore and maintain the Elitch Gardens theatre and carousel pavilion. [4]In 2006, groundbreaking on renovation of the theatre began with restoration of the building's exterior, including pouring a foundation for the building.[5]
[edit] List of stars that appeared at Elitch Theatre
- Steve Allen, 1974
- Morey Amsterdam, 1968
- George Arliss, 1905-06, '13
- John Astin, 1973-74
- Sarah Bernhardt, 1906
- Helen Bonfils, 1934-47
- Raymond Burr, 1944
- Sid Caesar, 1971, '74
- Kitty Carlisle, 1965, '70
- Cecil B. DeMille, 1905
- Patty Duke, 1973-74
- Douglas Fairbanks, 1905
- Douglas Fairbanks Jr., 1971-73
- Jose Ferrer, 1973
- Arlene Francis, 1964-65, '69
- Barbara Bel Geddes, 1964
- George Gobel, 1971
- Julie Harris, 1978
- Kim Hunter, 1975
- Gabe Kaplan, 1982-83
- Grace Kelly, 1951
- Cloris Leachman, 1982-83
- Harold Lloyd, 1914
- Myrna Loy, 1969
- Fredric March, 1926-28
- Jayne Meadows, 1974
- Patricia Neal, 1947
- Maureen O'Sullivan, 1972, '82-83
- Walter Pidgeon, 1964
- Antoinette Perry, 1904-05
- Vincent Price, 1979
- John Raitt, 1977, '79
- Lynn Redgrave, 1975
- Robert Redford, 1955
- Edward G. Robinson, 1922
- Ginger Rogers, 1975
- Cesar Romero, 1964
- Mickey Rooney, 1972-74
- William Shatner, 1975
- Gloria Swanson, 1967
- Lana Turner, 1977
- Joan Van Ark, 1960
- Dick Van Patten, 1968
- Nancy Walker, 1987
- Shelley Winters, 1973, '83
- Jane Wyatt, 1939
[edit] References
- ^ a b Noel, Tom. "Historic Elitch Theatre returning to spotlight", Rocky Mountain News, April 29, 2006.
- ^ a b c Moore, John. "Famous, soon-to-be-famous crossed Elitch stage". Denver Post, April 16, 2006.
- ^ Sinisi, J. Sebastian. "Landmark status urged for Elitch Theatre". Denver Post, August 29, 1995: B-03
- ^ "Elitch Theatre announces restoration plan". Denver Business Journal. April 17, 2006
- ^ Voelz Chandler, Mary. "Cleaning up its act". Rocky Mountain News. August 15, 2006.
