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Orpheum Theater

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1918–1921, G. Albert Lansburgh, with Samuel Stone Jr.; 2014–2015 restored, Rick Fifield Architect and Eskew+Dumez+Ripple. 129 Roosevelt Way.
  • (Photograph by Lake Douglas)
  • (Photograph by Lake Douglas)
  • (Photograph by Karen Kingsley)

The Orpheum is one of New Orleans’s finest example of a polychrome terra-cotta facade. G. Albert Lansburgh of New York, the architect for all the Orpheum theaters in the country, was known for his use of decorative terra-cotta, as was his local collaborator, Samuel Stone Jr., whose firm designed the Maison Blanche Building (OR84). Above the theater’s marquee are three pedimented windows and a polychrome relief frieze depicting frolicking cherubs and fauns. The walls above the windows are faced with five vertical panels decorated with geometric and floral patterns, which are topped by a cornice punctuated with theatrical masks. The predominant color is cream, with details highlighted in pink, yellow, and pastel shades of green and blue. Built for live entertainment, the 1,500-seat auditorium was tiered, with two balconies. The theater also included an apartment where children could be supervised during the show. In 1933, the Orpheum was converted into a movie palace, and in 1993 it became the home of the New Orleans Philharmonic Orchestra. Flooded and abandoned following Hurricane Katrina, it has since been renovated into a venue for convention and musical events. With wonderful acoustics, it is again the home of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Karen Kingsley and Lake Douglas
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Data

Timeline

  • 1918

    Built

  • 2014

    Restored

What's Nearby

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Citation

Karen Kingsley and Lake Douglas, "Orpheum Theater", [New Orleans, Louisiana], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/LA-02-OR100.

Print Source

buildings of new orleans book

Buildings of New Orleans, Karen Kingsley and Lake Douglas. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2018, 125-126.

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