Lyric Theatre

218 Seneca Street,
Oil City, PA 16301

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Lyric Theatre (Official)

Additional Info

Functions: Performing Arts

Previous Names: Orpheum Theatre, Princess Theatre, Cameo Theatre

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Lyric Theatre

The Lyric Theatre is located along Seneca Street in Oil City, PA in between the Transit Building Annex and the IOOF building. It opened by 1921. For about 40 years its lobby served as the sales floor for Ray L. Way, a local haberdashery which closed in the early-2000’s.

The Oil City Community Playhouse has been renovating it for the past several years with plans to use the space for live performances. Local folklore has it that Charlie Chaplin did some of his first American performances there.

Contributed by Von Winger

Recent comments (view all 5 comments)

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on March 11, 2009 at 9:32 am

This is the caption to a photo in the Oil City Derrick on 10/10/74:

Ray L. Way and son, Richard L. Way, peer at a remnant of the old Lyric Theater which once occupied the site where a clothing store is now located. The elaborate design which Ray is touching borders the old stage which now serves as a storage and tailoring area in back of the sales section. The store moved into the former Lyric Theater building in 1955. Prior to the Lyric, this site was occupied by the Cameo Theater, before that the Princess Theater and before that the Orpheum Theater. Actually, the Lyric started housing audiences in 1917 at 106-108 Seneca St., moving to 216 Seneca St. in 1927.

ksiemb
ksiemb on October 17, 2015 at 5:43 am

Late 1940’s 12 Cents Admission, Oater’s and Serial’s all day all evening, and you could stay and watch them over and over !

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on November 11, 2021 at 4:11 pm

Per kencmcintyre’s comment above, this page is missing the aka’s Princess Theatre and Cameo Theatre. We don’t yet have a page for the first Lyric Theatre, at 106-108 Seneca Street. (I’ve found out that the first Lyric was in operation prior to March, 1916, when it was reported to have reopened following a major renovation.) According to the current Lyric web site, this house opened as the Orpheum in 1906.

matthewthecinemaguy
matthewthecinemaguy on April 19, 2022 at 6:32 am

Harris Amusements owned the theater in 1935.

matthewthecinemaguy
matthewthecinemaguy on April 19, 2022 at 6:33 am

This theater is currently operating as a performing arts theater.

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