The Orpheum Theatre was not always what many Memphians and tourists know it to be today. Originally known as the Grand Opera House, modeled after the upscale New York theater of that name, in 1907 it joined the Orpheum Circuit — a chain of several theaters featuring vaudeville shows and movies. From then on, the theater on Main and Beale was officially known as the Orpheum, booming for many years until being destroyed by fire in 1923.
Five years later, construction quickly began on a building in the same location that would be declared as the “New Orpheum.” It attracted some of the most talented performers in music, such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and many more. As the years progressed and technology advanced, motion pictures became increasingly popular and vaudeville performances started to fade out. And in 1940, the Orpheum was sold and turned into a Malco Theatre. By the ’70s, single-screen movie theaters were not as successful anymore and this prompted Malco to sell the Orpheum. The theater was on the verge of being destroyed — once again.
But this wasn’t the end of an era for the Orpheum.
“The Memphis Development Foundation at that time was able to save the theater and restore it back to the Orpheum,” says Kristin Bennett, the theater’s public relations director. A group of citizens that formed this foundation purchased the building and made crucial repairs. Soon after, Broadway shows and live performances made a return and the grand reopening of the Orpheum took place in 1984. The rest, as they say, is history.
If it weren’t for the individuals who helped form the Memphis Development Foundation, the Orpheum would not be approaching 100 years of serving the Memphis community. Not only through the performing arts but also by offering community-building programs for young people with the support of the Halloran Centre, the Orpheum has proven to make a positive impact on the lives of the younger generation here. “We program and preserve the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education next door, which is really the home of our education and engagement programs. We have summer camps, the Mending Hearts Camp which was actually founded by our president [Brett Batterson],” Bennett notes. “He lost his dad as a child and saw how big an impact the arts could have on his grieving process. The Mending Hearts Camp is specifically a performing arts camp for young people who have experienced the death of one or both parents.”
The Orpheum announced its 25th season of shows earlier this year. “We kick off with A Beautiful Noise, followed by The Notebook based on the movie. Then we have & Juliet, which is a musical based on the songs of Max Martin who [produced] songs for Katy Perry and Backstreet Boys,” says Bennett. “And then we have The Outsiders, which won the Tony in 2024 for best musical. We end with a return of Beauty and the Beast. We have a really exciting season coming up.” To view the full list of upcoming shows or reserve tickets once they go on sale, visit orpheum-memphis.com.
The Orpheum has maintained the title of Best Live Theater in the Flyer’s Best of Memphis poll since 2008, and with its impressive lineup of shows and community engagement, it’s no surprise. “Every year we’re so honored and grateful to be recognized in that way. It really demonstrates the value that Memphis puts on live entertainment. If it wasn’t for [the people in Memphis], there would be no point. They’re the reason we do what we do.
“We’re in the memory-making business. We could be the site of someone’s first date or a young person coming to a field trip with their first exposure to the arts,” Bennett says. “Of course we’re providing entertainment, but we’re also providing something much more lasting. It’s that memory, whether shared or not, that you kind of hold on [to] for longer.”