Tivoli Theatre
425 Westport Road,
Kansas City,
MO
64111
425 Westport Road,
Kansas City,
MO
64111
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This was the third Tivoli Theatre to operate in the city and was located in the Old Westport area of Kansas City. It opened September 29, 1972 as the Bijou of Westport in a two story red brick building. The opening program was “The Perils of Pauline” Episode 1 of the serial, a 1936 newsreel and Lew Ayres in “All Quiet of the Western Front”. The theatre was located on the first floor of the building and seated 104. In 1976 it was renamed Tivoli Theatre, it closed on March 16, 1999. It couldn’t compete with the Tivoli Cinemas and its three screens just a couple blocks away. The building now houses Blaney’s bar.
Contributed by
Chuck Van Bibber
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
A photo of this building in its current use as Blaney’s Pub can be seen at:
http://www.cinematour.com/tour.php?db=us&id=1075
Claydoh, The photo linked with cinematour should be the building just west of Blayney’s, 425 Westport Road, with the one-story, terra cotta-ornamented front. After the theater closed in 1998, it became part of Matsu, a sushi restaurant. Prior to being named The Tivoli, it was known as The Bijou, owned and operated by the late Summer Shipp. The theater capacity was 104 seats and not 426.
Dad took me to see Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians here back in 1974 and it was the Bijou at that time.
This was THE place to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show back in the late 70s / early 80s. They played it on Fridays and Saturdays and would sell out the show within minutes of opening the box office each day. I saw it there twice in the 80s (with a date who saw it hundreds of times there. We had to skip out of high school at lunch on a Friday morning to drive down to the theater.) They used to have something on the wall about how many consecutive showings of the film they had sold out. It was a very large number!
I played across the street at “Stanford and sons Comedy club” And my friend Dan Waters was the MC for the “Rocky Horror” shows. Summer Ship was the owner at the time (Early 80’s). Real nice gal.
September 29th, 1972 grand opening ad in photo section.
Closed March 16th, 1999 per newspaper clipping below
Opened on 29/9/1972 with a movie serial(“The perils of Pauline” part 1), a 1936 newsreel, and “All quiet on the western front”.