Lyric Theater
227 Commerce Street,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73109
227 Commerce Street,
Oklahoma City,
OK
73109
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Lauren Grubb
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According to Oklahoman Archive web pages research, Oklahoma City had several theaters named LYRIC. The first LYRIC was a vaudeville house located on First and Robinson, and dated back to 1906. Downtown had three Lyrics, each located on various sites during different time periods.
Further research proves that this 1500 seat LYRIC Theater was located on First St. off Robinson. Built by Miller Brewing Co. in 1906 as a vaudeville house, with a large rooftop beer garden. Milwaukee based Architect William Wells designed this Modernistic structure.
Above comments were concerning the first Lyric in OKC and I should have clearly indicated this… The first Lyric had two separate entrances, one on 123 N. Robinson St, and the main entrance at 206 NW First St. As a fifteen-hundred seat vaudeville house the Lyric attracted more than enough ticket buyers to remain profitable, but the Lyric occupied real estate that quickly became too valuable for theater use. In 1927 the Lyric Theater structure was razed in order make way for the high rise Parrine Bldg.
Images of the first Lyric Theater can be seen inside Oklahoman Archives web site. Well’s architectural drawing for the Second Street facade is seen in October 16, 1904, edition, and for a look at the Robinson Street entrance see September 23, 1913.
Okie, surely you did not intend to say the Lyric was on Second St. Didn’t you mean to say architectural drawing for the NW FIRST STREET facade?
Here is an ad from the 11/24/18 edition of the Daily Oklahoman:
LYRIC – Always a Good Show
SUNDAY
A Swinging New, Varied VAUDEVILLE Show That Will
Delight the Most Exactingâ€"Featuring
HOCKWALD’S SIX NATIVE HAWAIIANS
A Wonderful Singing and Instrumental Exhibition
Johnson Bros & Johnson.
“Clever Minstrelsy”
Roberts, Pearl & Straw
“A Half Ton of Fun”
Alf Ripon
Scotch Ventriloquist
And One Other Big Act
LOVELY, CAPABLE EDITH ROBERTS
In the Captivating Photoplay,
“The Love Swindle”
COMEDY and NEWS FILMS -
35c Nights, Sundays, Holidays Downstairs
25c Balcony
10c Children Any Time
Not having visited the Oklahoman Archives website yet, I’m curious where the reference to Wells' connection with Milwaukee comes from. He was a Kansas native, trained as an architect in Chicago and began his practice first at Rock Island, IL, before relocating to Oklahoma City in about 1904—the year the first Lyric Theater was designed. Wells remained in OKC until about 1910 when he went west to CA and ultimately Seattle, WA.
Could be the writer thought Wells was Milwaukee based since Miller Brewing operated the c1904 Lyric Theatre & Airdome. Here is the site address for the Oklahoman Archives. Lots of photographs & facts can be documented on their free search option,
http://www.newsok.com/theoklahoman/archives/
Great info, guys, but these reflections should have been posted on the upscale Lyric Theatre that was located in downtown OKC. This page refers to the nabe Lyric that sat in the poor working class Stockyards District, several miles west of downtown.