Orpheum Theatre
1007 S. Water Street,
New Bedford,
MA
02740
1007 S. Water Street,
New Bedford,
MA
02740
5 people
favorited this theater
The Orpheum Theatre was part of a Beaux-Arts style building that was constructed by a French-Canadian Benevolent Organization known as Le Club des Francs-Tireurs (The French Sharpshooters Club).
The group hired fame New Bedford architect Louis Destremps to design this imposing building, which not only housed the beautiful Vaudeville and movie theatre, but also contained a grand ballroom, a prone-position shooting range, various offices and meeting spaces, a gymnasium and retail space on the lower level.
Construction began in 1910 and was finished in 1912. The Orpheum Theatre opened to large crowds on April 14, 1912. While the residents of New Bedford were lining up to see the evenings' opening act of the Five Musical Durands, the RMS Titanic was steaming toward her tragic end.
Throughout the decades, the theatre entertained the populace with Vaudeville, Films, newsreels and serials. The French Sharpshooters trained recruits in marksmanship for WWII in their rifle range. The grand ballroom held socials, dances, drill exhibitions, parties and wedding receptions.
The theatre originally had 1,500 seats, verified by the very first newspaper advertisements for the Orpheum Theatre. Over the years the original seats had been removed and had been replaced by more modern seats, which were then sold off, and the original seats were re-installed. Not all the seating was replaced and the seating capacity is now for around 1,200. The theatre space has a lower level, as well as a balcony and upper and lower box seats flanking the proscenium arch.
The Orpheum Theatre was closed in 1958-59. It opened sparodically after that for special events, but was eventually sold off by the French Sharpshoots Club and was later used as a warehouse by a tobacco and candy company. The building has been neglected and began to deteriorate due to lack of upkeep. The backside of the building now houses an ethnic supermarket, but the remainder of the public spaces continue to crumble.
O.R.P.H. Inc, or Orpheum Rising Project Helpers is a non-profit organization that is focused on securing and rehabilitating the Orpheum Theatre and French Sharpshooters Hall to its original grandeur, our effort is to make it a community theatre and multi-cultural center for the residents of New Bedford. Much work and funding will be needed to accomplish this.
You can learn more about the building and what it means to the citizens of New Bedford by visiting the website below.
There you will find a documentary that explains the history of both The French Sharpshoots Organization, as well as the magnificent Orpheum Theatre.
Contributed by
Lance Gunberg
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Attention Photographers
Call for submissions Deadline Oct. 14,
New Bedford Orpheum Photography Show and Documentary Premiere release
The organization O.R.P.H., INC. (Orpheum Rising Project Helpers) with support of the Community Building Mini-Grant Program of the United Way of Greater New Bedford are proud to announce plans for a photography exhibit to be held at
Gallery X in the Douglass Gallery from November 7th to November 21st,
Opening reception November 13th from 5-8 PM
Orpheum Documentary Premiere showing starts at 8:15
at 169 William Street in New Bedford.
Visitors to the “Rope Light Tour†and to the “Phantoms of the Orpheumâ€, our recent years' public events events in Orpheum Theatre, are invited to submit photographic images. The intent is to collect and exhibit photographs to document the 1912 theater in its pre-restoration stage. This collection will serve as reminder of our recent past, and for inspiration to the goal to save, restore, and use this historic landmark. O.R.P.H. Inc. requests that photographs taken in the theater be submitted for inclusion in this exhibition celebrating this vaudeville theater.
On October 14th, 2010, the non-profit organization will have an editing group look at entries. The top twenty-five most appropriate will be printed and framed, with a courteous assist by the Community Building Mini- Grant Program of the United Way of Greater New Bedford for the exhibition.
Work submitted will later be shown at other New Bedford locations and eventually be hung in the restored Orpheum Theater.
Please mail or deliver CD or DVDs to
Mr. Charles Hauck, 46 South Sixth Sreet, New Bedford, MA 02740.
For more info contact Charles Hauck (President) 508 996-9768, or Colin Williams (Secretary)
Orpheum Theater Documentary Premiere showing at 8:15 on Nov. 13th
This documentary has been skillfully directed and produced by Lance Gunberg, (who also directed the acclaimed Hetty Green, “Beyond the Myth” documentary). He has put together an intense history of the Orpheum Theatre and also focuses on its importance to the culture of New Bedford. This will be the first public showing of this truly unique presentation.
O.R.P.H., Inc is a non profit corporation organized to “Preserve, restore, and adapt The Orpheum Theatre and Sharpshooters Hall at 1005 South Water Streetâ€.
The New Bedford Orpheum restoration project is featured in today’s issue of the Standard Times newspaper in the Coastin' section: View link
Has information regarding the upcoming documentary and photography at Gallery X in New Bedford, MA.
The Orpheum is listed in the 1927 Film Daily Yearbook as having 1200 seats and open daily.
There is only a relative handful of true masterpeices left that are “easily” savable.The UTAH in SLC comes to mind.So many have been lost in criminal manners in the past few years.One in Il and the Raymond come to mind.We,who care,must support this one.
Latest article in the New Bedford Standard-Times on January 4th, 2011:
“OUR VIEW: Reviving the Orpheum
Looking ahead to a new year ripe with possibility, we hope to see progress in 2011 toward restoration of New Bedford’s Orpheum Theatre, a 1912 vaudeville playhouse long closed and profoundly in need of repair.
We’re pleased to hear that one or more nonprofit groups could sign an agreement to purchase the building in the coming months.
Charles Hauck, a member of Orpheum Rising Project Helpers (known as ORPH Inc.) said Monday that Ignacio Diaz, the owner of the building, has given them a price he will accept. About two years ago, ORPH made an offer, but Diaz rejected it, Hauck said.
Now ORPH plans to have the building reappraised to reflect today’s real estate market and make a counter offer. In short order, the group could sit down with Diaz, the Waterfront Historic Area League, and representatives of city government to hammer out a deal, he said. Which entity or entities would take ownership has not been determined.
Fundraising remains a massive obstacle to renovation of the 1,163-seat theater. The plaster decorations are crumbling away, and the building needs new electrical and heating systems â€" just for starters. The work is expected to cost at least $10 million â€" ORPH has received a couple of higher estimates as well â€" and that doesn’t include ongoing maintenance.
First comes the purchase. The building was appraised at about $718,000 a couple of years ago. ORPH hopes to get a better price in the depressed real estate market, but Hauck declined to reveal what the owner is asking.
With such a huge investment needed and questionable demand for a second theater to accompany the city’s majestic Zeiterion, restoration of the Orpheum seems to some like a pipe dream. We prefer to think of it as a long-term dream, one that may begin to solidify with the reconstruction of Route 18, the highway for which much of the Orpheum’s once-thriving mill-working neighborhood was demolished in the 1960s. Plans are under way to redesign the highway to feel more like a neighborhood street, but construction on the southern leg near the Orpheum won’t begin for at least five years, probably more.
In the near term, the theater’s distance from downtown may deter investment. Over the long term, though, the trend toward redevelopment evident in the new Fairfield Inn could expand south into the Orpheum neighborhood. ORPH envisions the reopened theater not as another Zeiterion but a “little sister” to the Z that local performance groups could rent, Hauck said.
The group has a new president, New Bedford independent filmmaker Lance Gunberg, whose recently completed 22-minute documentary, “Orpheum Rising: A Brief History of the French Sharpshooter’s Hall and Orpheum Theatre,” is on the ORPH website, orphinc.org.
With fresh leadership and the possibility of an upcoming purchase agreement, we sense good things happening for the Orpheum. Many years will pass before the curtain rises, but the mission to save this grand old theater should continue."
Source: View link
Here’s a write up about the history of the Orpheum, with some recent photographs.
View link
Fantastic work MattL!
My father, Gilbert Hemenway, was a projectionist in New Bedford from the 1930s until 1956. He worked very briefly at the Orpheum in its last days. At that time it was not open full time… just like the New Bedford Theater which was only open during Summer vacation. I only went there once and my father let my mother, sister, and I into the club area, and we played pool.
His older brother Floyd trained him and another brother George at the Allen Theater, located on east side of Acushnet Avenue between Coffin Ave and Phillips Ave. My mother met him there when he was an usher and ticket taker. Just about the whole block burned down in 1940. His early years were at the Bailey Square and the Keith (Fairhaven). My memories are of him working the Capital, Empire, New Bedford, Dartmouth Drive-In, Fairhaven Drive-In, and in Fall River he worked the Plaza and the Embassy. He also worked the Newport Theater (RI) briefly. When the South Pacific tour came to the New Bedford Theater, he ran the spot light.
I posted some hilarious stories of what my father did while at the Plaza. http://cinematreasures.org/theater/12048/
In 1956 we moved to Los Angeles. In 1990, I visited the booth at the Fairhaven Drive-In and everything was still in place. I took the last carbons out of the Peerless carbon arc projector, the final movie run sheet, and the reel of film that they show at Intermission. I also took the ramp speaker that my father strung up along the ceiling to the amplifier when the place first opened. I still have and cherish them. With virtually all of these theaters gone, a piece of me is missing.
For those interested in help getting the New Bedford Orpheum Restoration project get underway, the next ORPH Inc. meeting is scheduled for this Thursday, June 2th.
Details:
Where:
Gallery X
169 Williams Street
New Bedford, MA
When: Thursday, June 2nd at 6:00PM
“Our general meeting will table a few new fundraising ideas and will also go over some continuing business as well. There has been a lot going on and our efforts to keep this organization moving forward are ongoing and varied. There will be new business discussed, as well as updates on current affairs.
We do hope you can make it!"