Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center

Last updated
Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center
Rose Astro Theater Omaha.jpg
USA Nebraska location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location2001 Farnam St.,
Omaha, Nebraska 68102
Coordinates 41°15′25.89″N95°56′32.78″W / 41.2571917°N 95.9424389°W / 41.2571917; -95.9424389
Built1926 [1]
ArchitectJohn Eberson [1]
Architectural styleClassical Revival, Exotic Revival
NRHP reference No. 74001108 [2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPAugust 13, 1974
Designated OMALOctober 21, 1980 [1]

The Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center or The Rose, also known as the Astro Theatre, originally opened as The Riviera. [1] It is located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1926 in a combination of both Moorish and Classical styles, the building was rehabilitated in 1986. [3]

Contents

History

Paramount Theater. Omaha, 1937 Paramount Theater. Omaha - NARA - 283720.tif
Paramount Theater. Omaha, 1937

John Eberson, a nationally notable architect, designed the theater in 1926 as an example of the "atmospheric" theater popular during the 1920s. In a style created by Eberson, these atmospheric theaters simulated romantic outdoor Mediterranean courtyards with a night sky above, including twinkling stars and drifting clouds. [4]

The exterior of the building features a large copper domed tower, flanked by two smaller towers of similar detailing. The diamond-patterned brick facades contain oriel windows, elaborate cornices, glazed terra-cotta tile copings, and a series of free-standing columns which support griffins. The theater was built by A. H. Blank. [5]

Noted for lavish stage shows combined with movies, the theater was regarded as one of the most elegant entertainment facilities in the Midwest and had 2,776 seats. After opening March 26, 1927, someone commented that the Riviera Theatre "makes every man feel like a millionaire for 60 cents". A parade featuring the 17th Infantry Regiment was held to celebrate its opening. [6] [5]

In 1929, unable to meet the $13,000 weekly costs and experiencing financial losses, Blank sold it to Paramount Pictures and the theater was renamed the Paramount. [7] It had multiple closures including in 1934, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941 and 1942. [6] Paramount installed a minitiature golf course in the lower lobby to attract customers. [8] In June 1952 it stopped showing films but the theater productions during the winter were not that successful and it closed again. In August 1953 its owner, Tristates, decided to sell or demolish it. [6]

In 1957, Paramount vacated the lease to Creighton University. Closed for several years, it was later leased to J.S.B. Amusement, and after renovations, was operated as a bowling alley. After only a year of operation, the building once again was remodeled to return it to a theater. [7]

It reopened as a movie theater in 1962 with a new name, the Astro Theatre, run by Dubinsky Brothers and with a reduced capacity of 1,465. [5] It continued operations until June 1980. [7] In 1974 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places and in October 1980 it was listed as an Omaha landmark. [2] [1] Closed and once again facing possible demolition, the Astro Theatre was sold by Creighton University to Rose Blumkin of the Nebraska Furniture Mart on June 24, 1981. [9] In the early 1990s it was renovated and transformed into the Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center; [10] it became the home of the Omaha Theater Company, which began performing there in 1995. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

Rose Theatre may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nebraska Furniture Mart</span> American retail store

Nebraska Furniture Mart (NFM) is a home furnishing store in North America that sells furniture, flooring, appliances and electronics. It is the largest of its kind in North America. NFM was founded in 1937 by Belarus-born Rose Blumkin, who was known as Mrs. B., in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Under the motto "sell cheap and tell the truth," she worked in the business until age 103. In 1983, Mrs. B. sold a majority interest to Berkshire Hathaway on a handshake deal with Warren Buffett for $60 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose Blumkin</span> Businesswoman born in 1893

Rose Blumkin was an American businesswoman who founded the Nebraska Furniture Mart in 1937. Businessman Warren Buffett said of her, "One question I always ask myself in appraising a business is how I would like, assuming I had ample capital and skilled personnel, to compete with it. I’d rather wrestle grizzlies than compete with Mrs. B and her progeny. They buy brilliantly, they operate at expense ratios competitors don’t even dream about, and they then pass on to their customers much of the savings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Eberson</span>

John Adolph Emil Eberson was an Austrian-American architect best known for the development and promotion of movie palace designs in the atmospheric theatre style. He designed over 500 theatres in his lifetime, earning the nickname "Opera House John". His most notable surviving theatres in the United States include the Tampa Theatre (1926), Palace Theatre Marion (1928), Palace Theatre Louisville (1928), Majestic Theatre (1929), Akron Civic Theatre (1929), the Paramount Theatre (1929) and the Lewis J. Warner Memorial Theater (1932) at Worcester Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts. Remaining international examples in the atmospheric style include both the Capitol Theatre (1928) and State Theatre (1929) in Sydney, Australia, The Forum and Le Grand Rex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Family Catholic Church (Omaha, Nebraska)</span> Historic church in Nebraska, United States

Holy Family Church was built in 1883 at 1715 Izard Street, at the intersections of 18th and Izard Streets in North Omaha, Nebraska within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha. It is the oldest existing Catholic Church in Omaha, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<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">South Omaha Main Street Historic District</span> Historic district in Nebraska, United States

The South Omaha Main Street Historic District is located along South 24th Street between M and O Streets in South Omaha, Nebraska. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. Home to dozens of historically important buildings, including the Packer's National Bank Building, the historic district included 129 acres (0.52 km2) and more than 32 buildings when listed.

The Cooper Foundation of Lincoln, Nebraska, is a charitable and educational organization established in 1934 by Joseph H. Cooper, a long-time theater owner and former partner of Paramount Pictures. It supports nonprofit organizations in Lincoln and Lancaster County, Nebraska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old People's Home (Omaha)</span> United States historic place

The Old People's Home, presently known as Leo Vaughan Senior Manor, is located at 3325 Fontenelle Boulevard in the Florence neighborhood on the north side of Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1917, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

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

The Christian Specht Building is located at 1110 Douglas Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. It is the only existing building with a cast-iron facade known in Nebraska today, and one of the few ever built in the state. The building was deemed an Omaha landmark in 1981, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Omaha</span> Central business district in Omaha

Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area, U.S. state of Nebraska. The boundaries are Omaha's 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline of Leavenworth Street on the south to the centerline of Chicago Street on the north, also including the CHI Health Center Omaha. Downtown sits on the Missouri River, with commanding views from the tallest skyscrapers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Highway (Omaha)</span>

The Lincoln Highway in Omaha, Nebraska, runs east–west from near North 183rd Street and West Dodge Road in Omaha, Nebraska, towards North 192nd Street outside of Elkhorn. This section of the Lincoln Highway, one of only 20 miles (32 km) that were paved with brick in Nebraska, is one of the most well-preserved in the country. The roadway was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States, traversing coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orpheum Theatre (Omaha)</span> Theater in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.

The Orpheum Theater is a theater located in Omaha, Nebraska. The theater hosts programs best served by a more theatrical setting, including the Omaha Performing Arts Broadway Season, presented with Broadway Across America, and Opera Omaha's season. The theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The main auditorium is a proscenium theater known as "Slosburg Hall". The theater has a theatre organ, made by Wurlitzer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Omaha, Nebraska</span> Industry in Omaha, Nebraska

Tourism in Omaha, Nebraska, United States offers visitors history, sports, nature and cultural experiences. Its principal tourist attractions are the Henry Doorly Zoo and the College World Series (CWS). A 2003 study by a Creighton University economist estimated that the CWS added $33.8 million to the city's economy that year. With 1.1 million visitors annually, the Henry Doorly Zoo is Nebraska's most popular tourist attraction. In 2007 Omaha hosted the USA Roller Sports National Championships, along with 10,000 people who auditioned for the American Idol television show at Qwest Center Omaha.

<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">F. M. Kirby Center</span>

The F. M. Kirby Center is a historic Art Deco-Moderne style movie theater located at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Rocheford & Gould were brick manufacturers and construction contractors in early Omaha, Nebraska. The firm built numerous brick structures during Omaha's transition from the wooden buildings of Nebraska's territorial days to more permanent structures. The buildings the firm built included breweries, schools, packing houses, business blocks, Vaudeville theaters, street car barns and power houses, and civic buildings. Many of the structures the firm built have been demolished but a few of their earliest structures still exist and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The World Theater was a vaudeville and movie theater at 1506 Douglas Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. Its name was changed to the Omaha Theater in February 1935 when it was sold to new management. It closed on February 26, 1978, and was razed in 1980 to allow for the construction of a parking garage.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Omaha Landmarks". Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved 2013-03-05.
  2. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  3. "Tax incentive program projects in Douglas County" [usurped] , Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved 12/2/07.
  4. "Nebraska National Register Sites in Douglas County" [usurped] , Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved 12/2/07.
  5. 1 2 3 "Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 "End of 'Millionaire for 60c'". Variety . August 19, 1953. p. 18. Retrieved March 17, 2024 via Internet Archive.
  7. 1 2 3 Jeffrey S. Spencer [researcher and writer], Kristine Gerber [project director] (2003). Building for the ages : Omaha's architectural landmarks (1st ed.). Omaha, Neb.: Omaha Books. p. 163. ISBN   0-9745410-1-X.
  8. 1 2 "The History of Our Company". Archived March 30, 2015, at the Wayback Machine The Rose Performing Arts. Retrieved 2015-08-05. Archived 2015-03-30 at Wayback Machine.
  9. "Creighton's history brick by brick" Archived 2007-08-15 at the Wayback Machine , The Creightonian Online. Retrieved 12/2/07.
  10. "Our Story Mrs. B." Nebraska Furniture Mart. Retrieved 12/2/07.

Official website