Orpheum Theatre

The origins of the building date back to its days as the Teutonia Hall built at the Corner of Geneva Street and Dyer Street in 1870 and was to be dedicated at an event on October 8, 1871. This showed the Germanic influences in the small village of Burlington as it combined the Teutonia Singing Club, the German Dramatic Society, and The Turner (Turnverein) Society. Burlington’s population was just 1,500 at that point and highly Germanic. And their hearts were in the right place because all of the food made for the October 8, 1871 was sent to Chicago to help in the devastating Chicago fire efforts as that news had just reached the Society.

The $72,000 Burlington Opera House was a reimagining of the Hall 1881 retaining little of the Hall’s original look though retaining the Teutonia Society’s activities but broadening to a city-wide programming approach. Live plays and vaudeville proved lucrative and the operators greatly expanded its live capabilities with a new stage and support areas in 1908. It was said to be the state’s largest stage for a town of its size. But this proved to be a misstep as the Burlington Opera House soon found competition coming in the form of movies.

Operators Hansen & Colburn saw the Crystal Theatre opening in late-1908 and the Majestic Theater open in town in 1909. Entering the 1910’s when Burlington had just passed only the 3,000 population mark - they decided to rebrand here as the Orpheum Theatre playing primarily film on April 2, 1910.

Fischer Paramount Theatres took over the venue as Fischer’s Orpheum Theatre. They installed a $10,000 3 manual Barton pipe organ and gave it a new exterior. They also reduced the live stage and dressing rooms at its reboot on October 26, 1927 as the expanded Fischer’s Orpheum Theatre. This activity occurred because the new Badger Theatre turned Plaza Theatre was being built nearby by two local operators. Fischer’s take included a brand new Italian-themed Atmospheric style interior - beautiful, yes - but no sound system - a curious decision. The plans were by August Wolf and echoed Milwuakee’s Venetian Theatre with the rolling clouds and twinkling star light effects. Also, the Teutonia Society went largely inactive at that point other than very sporadic events. And the refresh did add 100 seats - all 600 of which were new.

Community Theatres of Milwaukee - which had taken on the New Plaza Theatre just prior to opening day in 1928 - then sublet the Orpheum Theatre from Fischer for what turned out to be the final two years of the leasing agreement. Community had the Vitaphone sound on disc technology from the Plaza Theater over to the struggling Orpheum Theatre on June 3, 1929 with Al Jolson’s “The Singing Fool". They upgraded the sound at the Plaza Theater which made two of three local movie theaters sound-era ready with the locally-owned Crystal Theatre remaining silent at that point.

Just after Al Jolson’s “Say it With Songs” on January 22, 1930, the Orpheum Theatre was gutted by a major fire permanently closing the operation and - more importantly - ending the Teutonia Society which had been active since 1870. And the fire had the fire marshal doing a bit more investigating as the fire occurred a week prior to the Orpheum’s lease expiry.

As for the Orpheum Theatre being open in 1931 - that claim can be supported as it was opened like a can in early-1931. The four walls stood their ground but the rest of the building was basically gone. With the lease expired, the walls stood their ground without a roof for a year because nobody would knock it down. No lease holder and the Teutonia Society - owners - had disbanded. The City finally razed the structure beginning on January 14, 1931 and not ending until January of 1932 (!) as the building proved much more stout despite its semi-collapsed condition and, also, that the City had other priorities.

As for the location of the building listed above - that doesn’t exist. The building was at Geneva Street and Dyer Street. Dyer Street was named after Dr. Edward Galusha Dyer, Burlington’s first physician and a prominent abolitionist who played a significant role in the Underground Railroad. So the city didn’t like that and Dyer Street became Kane Street so they standardized on Kane Street in 1962. Geneva Street was renamed at the same time becoming Milwaukee Avenue and West State Street. So the contemporary spot is roughly 416 Milwaukee Avenue (the local phone directory doesn’t provide the exact number but if you want to call over there, it’s 209). The lot became a hot bed of outdoor activities over the next two years - carnivals, revivals and the like.

A bit more than you likely wanted to know but there you have it.

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