Orpheum Theatre
The Orpheum opened its doors in 1927, boasting a light bulb sign emblazoned with the words “New Orpheum”—the theatre was one of a few, part of a vaudeville and movie house chain called the Orpheum Circuit. Touring acts on the Orpheum Circuit would perform at Orpheum Theatres across the United States and Canada.
The theatre faced big changes as the Great Depression hit in the 1930s. New entertainment technology shifted the focus from vaudeville theatre to the movies. As a result, the Orpheum started primarily operating as a movie house for first-run shows. Orpheum manager Ivan Ackery was known for cleverly devising schemes to attract a diverse clientele to the theatre, including innovative children’s programming to draw in local families. A neon sign was installed in 1948.
Today, the Orpheum is a popular live music venue and the home base of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
STORIES ABOUT THIS SIGN
Audio
Dal Richards said…
“I saw any number of vaudeville shows in the Orpheum. And just thought, that would be the ultimate for me, to have an orchestra in the Orpheum stage…”
Audio
Norman Young said…
“The yo-yo was the rage anyway, and it became a special rage, in some ways, in Vancouver. So, if you were a kid, you’d go to a corner grocery store…”
Read
Dal Richards wrote…
“You’d walk that long, majestic corridor up to the theatre seating, and that was pretty impressive when you saw that corridor and all the carpet and a
“You’d walk that long, majestic corridor up to the theatre seating, and that was pretty impressive when you saw that corridor and all the carpet and all the sculptures and paintings.
It was very exciting, going to the Orpheum when I was young. And when I heard that first opening overture of the Orpheum Theatre Orchestra, I just about leapt out of my seat!”
CLOSE FULL STORY— Dal Richards, saxophonist, big-band leader
Read
Rob Haynes wrote…
“There have been so many bright stars that have gone through this theatre that we didn’t even realize they were stars at the time..."
“There have been so many bright stars that have gone through this theatre that we didn’t even realize they were stars at the time.
I talk about Peggy Middleton, who was a dancer, who just put on little shows on the stage. Well, Peggy Middleton turned out to become Yvonne de Carlo in the U.S., and was voted the world’s most beautiful woman at one time.
Who would have known when you came to see, perhaps, the movie Blue Hawaii, and there she was, before the show started, doing a hula dance? You’d think, oh, who’s that?
And yet there was a gem. There was a star, a little tiny star that grew into a very big star.”
CLOSE FULL STORY— Rob Haynes, retired actor; president, BC Entertainment Hall of Fame
Share your story
Do you have a memory, story or anecdote about this sign? Share it below and we'll post it here for others to read. You may contribute in English or French.
See what others have to say. The stories below were shared by users just like you. Please note: this content is user-submitted and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the MOV
Posted by
Wed 01 May 2013
Photo gallery
Get a closer look at this sign and the business it represents. All photos are provided by the MOV.
