Oriental Theater
121 Hinds Street,
Rochester,
PA
15074
121 Hinds Street,
Rochester,
PA
15074
2 people
favorited this theater
The Oriental Theater sat on a hilltop overlooking the Ohio River in Rochester. I’m not sure of it’s opening and closing dates, however in the late-1970’s, it was turned into a disco ala Studio 54, this one named Infinity.
It was demolished in around 2001, after sitting empty, except for vandals. The site remains an empty plot.
Contributed by
Stephanie
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Recent comments (view all 34 comments)
Thanks so very much for posting that photo, but OMG…..another beautiful theatre demolished! This did NOT make my theatre day!
And dare I ask what is on the Oriental Theatre site now? Nice to know that the organ was spared along with many of the artifacts, but the theatre should have been saved and never made into a disco lounge.
Is the site still an empty “plot”…perhaps the right word since it has been demolished and “died”. A Google search has shown that Rochester PA is in Beaver County which is the same area of another DeAngelis designed theatre, the Granada which has also been demolished.
Playing Jan 8 1960 was “1001 ARABIAN KNIGHTS” and “FLYING FONTAINES"Coming was "BELOVED INFIDEL”.
Dec 2 1968 “YELLOW SUBMARINE” is playing.
Does anyone else recall Ozzy Osbourne playing at this theater in the very early 80s, when he was just breaking from Black Sabbath? I know he wasnt a disco band, but neither was the event I was at way back then!
I lived right down Rt 65 while growing up. Everyone knew of the Oriental.
This theatre was quite ornate for a DeAngelis design. And to think it is now an “empty plot”.
I’m certainly late here, but a gent that I had met back in the late ‘80s was in direct touch with Mr. DeAngelis at the time, whose wife had just died. Michael DeAngelis was in his upper 80s and said that he still had all of the blueprints for his theatres at his home. He was living in (I believe) Rochester, NY. I tried to get some local theatre/organ folks up there to look him up at the time but nothing came of it. That was probably near the end of the window of time that he could have been interviewed and given his treasures to posterity. I never heard anything else but seem to think that he passed away not too long after that. I have no idea if anyone ever got to him or saved his irreplaceable archive.
clarkw: This is a remarkable post and one that truly got my attention! To think Mr. DeAngelis had all of his theatre blueprints at his home! It saddens me to think that local theatre folks didn’t look him up at the time! I truly hope that his irreplaceable archive is somewhere safe and sound. If over time you have any other follow-up to this story, please post! Thanks!
I have just reviewed the link posted on October 24, 2010 and can’t believe my eyes! This theatre was beautiful! The folks of Rochester PA have truly lost a DeAngelis masterpiece!