Gaiety Theatre

215 W. Reno Avenue,
Oklahoma City, OK 73102

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seymourcox
seymourcox on July 17, 2010 at 11:32 pm

Found on this fantastic web site are vintage photos of the old Gaeity Burlesque Theatre.
Looks as if these shots were taken after an interior update, but a trace of the original Japanese design still peeked through.
http://www.roadsideoklahoma.com/node/543

missmelbatoast
missmelbatoast on June 19, 2010 at 10:06 pm

This montage is an updated version of burlesque vintage strip routines …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIdt0aLl3Bg

missmelbatoast
missmelbatoast on December 16, 2009 at 6:24 am

Hear this good example of a strip tease tune …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmTYdousWkg

missmelbatoast
missmelbatoast on October 24, 2009 at 7:16 pm

This site presents good examples of routines performed on the Gaiety stage by burlesque queens.
View link

seymourcox
seymourcox on November 10, 2007 at 7:50 pm

Since the Gaiety was a first class burlesque house the house orchestra often played more sophisticaed music,
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and then there were also snappy burleque tunes like this,
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All from this fun album,
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Rodney
Rodney on October 31, 2007 at 3:35 am

Listen on this site to an actual Gypsy Rose Lee strip routine -
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provided on this site -
http://www.unicornmeat.com/

seymourcox
seymourcox on August 3, 2007 at 7:15 am

Below link has period views of the Gaiety Theatre exterior, lobby, and auditorium. In search field type in words “gaiety agnew”, then hit enter.
View link
NOTE-a couple of those 1950 interior shots are mistakenly labelled Agnew Theatre. It’s not hard to figure out what shots go with the shabby Gaiety.

Rodney
Rodney on June 10, 2007 at 2:45 pm

By word of mouth the memory of the old Gaiety Burlesque Theatre still lives on. Many an old timer still talk about how the Gaiety always staged a rollicking good show.
Here is a most amusing site centered around burlesque history
http://www.anatomyofburlesque.com/

seymourcox
seymourcox on February 18, 2007 at 4:02 pm

Want to hear peppy samples of classic burlesque bump-n-grind tunes like the ones played inside OKC’s Gaiety? If so, then click on web link below;
View link

xxx
xxx on July 23, 2006 at 4:19 am

Famed burlesque dancers Virginia Bell, Lili St Cyr, Candy Barr, and Gypsy Rose Lee all performed on the Gaiety stage
View link

Okie
Okie on May 7, 2006 at 12:29 pm

Because it was on the Columbia Burlesque Wheel was one reason OKC’s Gaiety Burlesque Theatre was immensely popular, another contributor to its success was a jazzy house orchestra, and the fact that strip shows were risque fun.
Since the Gaiety held only five-hundred seats their strip-tease queens and skit comics often performed before sold out audiences. These SRO crowds thereby enabled neighboring Reno & Joy burlesque houses to cash in on Gaiety’s overflow, even though these two other strip joints usually played second rate acts accompanied by three piece bands.

xxx
xxx on April 9, 2006 at 6:40 pm

During the seven years I lived in San Franciso I met two former burlesque strippers, Satin Doll & Sequin, who told me that Oklahoma City’s Gaiety Burlesque Theater had a nine piece house orchestra that was reputed to be amoungst the best bump & grind rhythm bands.
www.burlesquehistory.com/index.html

Okie
Okie on March 26, 2006 at 5:50 pm

Urban legend claims that the Gaiety Burlesque Theater was originally a fancy saloon. This could be true as the Gaiety can be traced back to at least 1907, and if it were previously a saloon it would proabably date back even further.
While the Gaiety facade was nondescript, its interior was done in brightly colored Japanese styling complete with pagoda box seats, faux rooflines with Oriental upturned cornices, and inticately embroidered silk drapery.
Known as a first class burlesque house the Gaiety occasionally exhibited adult films between live stage shows, and once in a great while featured mainstream movies. The Gaity remained a bump & grind house until closed around 1964, then was converted into a cut-rate furniture store until razed in 1970.
Other theatres on Reno Street were Isis, Joy Burlesque, Pix, and Reno Burlesque.
From Library of Congress Photo Archives is a 1937 print by noted Photographer Dorothea Lange of the PIX Theatre. Hard to believe, but this drab little movie house was a member of the powerful Paramount/Publix Ciruit.
View link

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on March 20, 2006 at 9:18 am

Listed in the Film Daily Yearbook;1950 edition as having a seating capacity of 525. Earlier F.D.Y. in the 1940’s give a seating capacity of 400.