Jayhawk Theatre

Last updated

Jayhawk State Theatre of Kansas
Jt-2.jpg
Photo of original marquee
Address720 SW Jackson St.
Topeka, Kansas
United States
OwnerJayhawk Theatre Inc.
(501(c)(3) Non-Profit)
OperatorJayhawk Theatre Inc.
Capacity 300 (2008-present)
1550 (original)
Construction
OpenedAugust 16, 1926 (1926-08-16)
Closed1976
Architect Thomas W. Williamson
Boller Brothers
Website
jayhawktheatre.org
Jayhawk Theatre
Architect Thomas W. Williamson
NRHP reference No. 82002675 [1]
Added to NRHPMarch 11, 1982

The Historic Jayhawk State Theatre of Kansas, is a theater located in downtown Topeka, Kansas, United States. The theatre opened on August 16, 1926. The Jayhawk Hotel & Crosby Bros shopping complex where attached to the theatre making it a grand complex for visitors to eat, sleep and be entertained.

Contents

The Jayhawk Theatre closed in January 1976 and sat vacant until the building complex was purchased in the 1980s. The theatre was donated to a non-profit organization in 1993 after a demolition denial request was submitted to the Topeka City Council.

Design

The Jayhawk Theatre and arcade was the vision of native Topekan, E.H. Crosby, head of the Crosby Brothers Co. It was designed by architect Thomas W. Williamson of Topeka, KS using work from the Boller Brothers of Kansas City. The work was completed in 1926, at a cost of approximately 1 million dollars. Built of steel and concrete, the auditorium is open, requiring no support posts that might obscure the view. The domed roof had twinkling stars to represent the heavens. Featuring three levels, two grand staircases lead from the lobby to the mezzanine floor, where a luxurious lounge was located.
The stage features an ornate proscenium arch with a beautiful mural by William Peaco of Chicago, whose work was featured in many public buildings in the Midwest. The mural depicts the goddess of agriculture surrounded by state symbols and the Seal of Kansas.

Histoircal Photos from Application Page 12.jpg
Recolored.jpg

Ownership

The Jayhawk Theatre is owned and operated by a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization called the Historic Jayhawk Theatre Inc. In 1993 the Kansas State Legislature designated the Jayhawk as the official State Theatre of Kansas.

Redevelopment

Historic Jayhawk Theatre Inc. is dedicated to renovation, modernization and preservation of the historic Jayhawk State Theatre of Kansas. The organization is accepting donations, fundraising and hosting events to raise the funds to do so.

The Gallery was added in February 2007 and features artists from Topeka, Kansas. The gallery is located in the future lobby space of the theatre and currently operates as an art gallery, event space, small music venue, and gathering location for volunteers who meet weekly.

Notable Acts

New Year's Eve of 1929, Gypsy Rose Lee performed live on-stage at the Jayhawk Theatre.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gypsy Rose Lee</span> American burlesque performer, actress and writer (1911–1970)

Gypsy Rose Lee was an American burlesque entertainer, stripper, actress, author, playwright and vedette, famous for her striptease act. Her 1957 memoir, Gypsy: A Memoir, was adapted into the 1959 stage musical Gypsy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Playhouse Square</span> United States historic place

Playhouse Square is a theater district in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is the largest performing arts center in the US outside of New York City. Constructed in a span of 19 months in the early 1920s, the theaters became a major entertainment hub for the city for much of the 20th century. However, by the late 1960s, the district had fallen into decline and its theaters had closed down. In the 1970s, the district was revived through a grassroots effort that helped usher in a new era of downtown revitalization. For this reason, the revival of Playhouse Square is often locally referred to as being "one of the top ten successes in Cleveland history."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kansas State Capitol</span> State capitol building of the U.S. state of Kansas

The Kansas State Capitol, known also as the Kansas Statehouse, is the building housing the executive and legislative branches of government for the U.S. state of Kansas. Located in the city of Topeka, which has served as the capital of Kansas since the territory became a state in 1861, the building is the second to serve as the Kansas Capitol. During the territorial period (1854–1861), an earlier capitol building was begun but not completed in Lecompton, Kansas, and smaller structures in Lecompton and Topeka were where the territorial legislatures met.

WIBW is a commercial AM radio station in Topeka, Kansas. It is owned by Alpha Media and airs a talk and sports radio format. The studios and offices are on SW Executive Drive in Topeka. The transmitter is off NW Landon Road in Silver Lake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olympia Theater (Miami)</span> Historic theater in Miami, Florida

The Olympia Theater is a theater located in Miami, Florida. Designed by John Eberson in his famed atmospheric style, the theater opened in 1926. Throughout its history, the venue has served as a movie theater, concert venue and performing arts center. In 1984, it received historical designation by the NRHP. The Olympia Theatre, the Florida Theatre, and the Tampa Theatre are the only remaining atmospheric theatres in Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts</span> American performing arts center

The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, USA, at 16th and Broadway, near the city's Power & Light District, the T-Mobile Center and the Crossroads Arts District. Opened in 2011, it houses two venues: the 1,800-seat Muriel Kauffman Theatre, home of the Kansas City Ballet and Lyric Opera of Kansas City; and the 1,600-seat Helzberg Hall, home of the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra. Both venues host a variety of artists and performance groups in addition to these three resident entities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somerville Theatre</span> Independent movie theater and concert venue in Somerville, Massachusetts

The Somerville Theatre is an independent movie theater and concert venue in the Davis Square neighborhood of Somerville, Massachusetts, United States. Over one hundred years old, the Somerville Theatre started off as a vaudeville house and movie theater. The theater has since transitioned and now operates as a live music venue and first-run movie theater. As a music venue, the theater has played host to many historic concerts, including the first of the two Last Dispatch concerts, two shows by Bruce Springsteen in 2003, and a performance by U2 in 2009. Recent live performances have included Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, Cursive, Norah Jones, The Jonas Brothers, Joan Baez, and the John Butler Trio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connor Palace</span> Entertainment venue in Cleveland, Ohio, US

The Connor Palace, also known as the Palace Theatre and historically as the RKO Palace, is a theater located at 1615 Euclid Avenue in Downtown Cleveland, Ohio, part of Playhouse Square.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atmospheric theatre</span> Type of movie theater

An atmospheric theatre is a type of movie palace design which was popular in the late 1920s. Atmospheric theatres were designed and decorated to evoke the feeling of a particular time and place for patrons, through the use of projectors, architectural elements and ornamentation that evoked a sense of being outdoors. This was intended to make the patron a more active participant in the setting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palace Theatre (Albany, New York)</span>

The Palace Theatre is an entertainment venue in downtown Albany, New York, located on the corner of Clinton Avenue and North Pearl Street. The theatre is operated by the Palace Performing Arts Center, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Established in 1984 and incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation in 1989, the Palace Performing Arts Center, Inc. was created to operate the theatre and utilize its full potential as a cultural and entertainment center in Albany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uptown Oakland</span> Neighborhood of Oakland in Alameda, California, United States

Uptown Oakland is a neighborhood in Oakland, California, located in the northern end of Downtown. It is located roughly between West Grand Avenue to the north, Interstate 980 to the west, City Center and 14th Street to the south, and Broadway to the east. The neighborhood has become an important entertainment district in recent years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Civic Center Music Hall</span> Performing arts center in Oklahoma, US

The Civic Center Music Hall is a performing arts center located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was constructed in 1937 as Municipal Auditorium and renamed in 1966. The facility includes the Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre, the Freede Little Theatre, CitySpace, the Meinders Hall of Mirrors and the Joel Levine Rehearsal Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orpheum Theatre (Wichita, Kansas)</span> United States historic place

The Orpheum Theatre is a historic theater in downtown Wichita, Kansas, United States. It was designed by renowned theatre architect John Eberson with funding from a group of local investors and opened on September 4, 1922.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanover Theatre & Conservancy for the Performing Arts</span> Theater in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts is a complex in Worcester, Massachusetts, that includes an auditorium, where touring acts perform regularly, and several classrooms that host classes relating to the arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kansas Historical Society</span> Historical society of Kansas

The Kansas Historical Society is the official state historical society of Kansas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Folly Theater</span> United States historic place

The Standard Theatre, now known as the Folly Theater and also known as the Century Theater and Shubert's Missouri, is a former vaudeville hall in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Built in 1900, it was designed by Kansas City architect Louis S. Curtiss. The theater was associated with the adjoining Edward Hotel, which was also designed by Curtiss; the hotel was demolished in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lessing Theater</span> Theatre in Berlin, Germany (1888–1945)

The Lessing Theater was a theatre in the Mitte district of Berlin, Germany. It opened in 1888 and was destroyed in April 1945 in a bombing raid; its ruins were demolished after World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ames Center</span> Performing arts venue in Burnsville, Minnesota

The Ames Center, formerly the Burnsville Performing Arts Center, is a performing arts venue in Burnsville, Minnesota, adjacent to Nicollet Commons Park, which features green space, water fountains, and a 250-seat outdoor performance amphitheater. The Ames Center features an eclectic range of performances on the main stage and the black box theatres including: dance, theatre, concerts, comedians, and written word. Past performances include the Girl Singers of the Hit Parade, Larry Carlton, Louie Anderson, Lori Lane, Richard Marx, Church Basement Ladies, Melissa Manchester, Bill Engvall, Nick Colionne, Celtic Crossroads, Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota, Elizabeth Gilbert, Rob Lake, Tommy Emmanuel, Sinbad, Ralphie May, Dakota Valley Symphony, Chameleon Theater Circle, Miss Minnesota USA/Teen USA, and Cirque D’Or. Additionally, productions of Mame, A Christmas Carol and Peter Pan were presented utilizing sets created for the Kennedy Center, the Kodak Theatre and the original Cathy Rigby Broadway production respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Transit Building</span> United States historic place

The National Transit Building is an historic, American commercial building that is located at 206 Seneca Street, Oil City, Venango County, Pennsylvania.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.