I have been working on this post since last weekend. Holiday weeks are more difficult to get the posts and pictures ready. Today we are looking at 3 historic theaters. I have a list of historic theaters and this is second adventure.
Uptown Theater
Completed in 1928,
The Uptown Theater was Kansas City’s premier entertainment spot showcasing first-run movies, 1928.
The theater was designed to replicate a romantic, outdoor Mediterranean courtyard. The most prominent feature was the nighttime-sky ceiling – complete with twinkling stars, clouds and mechanical flying birds.
In 1928, an unknown comedian in his early twenties named Bob Hope performed his comedy act for a week long run of shows.
In 1939 the Uptown copyrighted “fragratone” in which fragrances would be funneled through the ventilation system, adding olfactory pleasure to the entertainment experience.
In the 1980s the theater fell into disrepair. The theater has had a $15 million renovation. In 2022, a new company bought the theater. They are building on the legacy while preserving the history.
A huge Salvation Army kettle at the headquarters.
I have never seen such a big kettle so I had to take a picture.
Warwick Theater
The Warwick Theatre opened in 1912 in Colonial Revival style. Originally, it seated 1,022 on two floors. One of the noted aspects in its decoration was the rich red velvet draperies that adorned the stage and the matching seating material. The Warwick closed in 1953.
Since then, the original decor has been lost, the seats have been removed and this former icon to the arts in KC took on a restructured life as a retail furniture store.
Now, it is being restored to its beautiful finishes hoping make this distinctive building a vital part of the KC artistic landscape for years to come.
There was a fire at the Warwick in February, 2024. The building was saved and is still being restored.
Unicorn Theatre
In 1974, three UMKC Theatre graduates turned a rented warehouse in Kansas City's River Market area into a locally based theatre company named "Theatre Warehouse." The group's name was changed to the Unicorn Theatre in 1981, after letterhead paper was donated to the company with a unicorn printed at the top
The Unicorn moved to its current location on Main Street in 1986, when it transformed an 80-year-old parking garage into a functional, intimate theatre space with a stage. The space underwent renovations in 1996 to include a new box office, lobby, rehearsal space, administrative office, and a Main Street entrance.
These 3 theaters are in the area on/near Main Street where we have be exploring. All of the adventure emails have been looking at the historic theaters. Tomorrow I'm going out for pictures. I have been researching an adventure and think we have a plan.
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