AMERICAN THEATERS NEW HOME IS REDIED
The Old Orpheum Being Renovated for Stage Shows
St. Louis fall theatre season will open next month in a completely renovated buildings, sparkling with fresh paint, plush with new seats and carpeting and growing with a revamped lighting system. Being rushed to completion is a 30,000 remodeling job on the old Orpheum Theatre at Ninth and St. Charles in downtown St. Louis, where the 53 year old American Theatre is moving after eight seasons at it’s midtown location on Grand Boulevard. The French Renaissance building is being refurbished entirely from box office to stage door.

Walls, Intricate panels and carvings of the auditorium are being painted in blue, gold and off-white. More then $10,000 worth of maroon carpeting is being laid in aisles and lounges. New form-fitting seats, costing $45,000 are being installed, decreasing house’s capacity from 2025 to 1850 for more comfortable seating.

The orchestra pit is being widened to accommodate 30 musicians, and the 40-foot stage is being draped with new blue curtains. Modern stage lighting has been added in order to handle the most ambitious road shows. House wiring and plumbing are being modernized, and the semi-glazed terra cotta exterior of the building has been steam-cleaned.

Source: St. Louis Post Dispatch, September 18, 1960