South Bend, IN
Morris Performing Arts Center
The Morris Performing Arts Center, originally called the Palace Theatre until the late 1950s, was built in 1922 as part of the Orpheum Theatre chain. The theater cost $1 million to build and was constructed on a $100,000 piece of property. It was the most modern theater in the country.
In the early days, it served as a vaudeville house and shows ran continuously with a new act every ten minutes. Broadway troupes traveling from New York to Chicago would often stop in South Bend and perform on the Palace Theatre stage.
History
The Morris Performing Arts Center, originally called the Palace Theatre until the late 1950s, was built in 1922 as part of the Orpheum Theatre chain. The theater cost $1 million to build and was constructed on a $100,000 piece of property. It was the most modern theater in the country.
In the early days, it served as a vaudeville house and shows ran continuously with a new act every ten minutes. Broadway troupes traveling from New York to Chicago would often stop in South Bend and perform on the Palace Theatre stage.
At its inception, the interiors of the theater were glorious. Old roses, blues and creams dominated and not one single architectural style could define the structure. The architect, J.S. Aroner from Chicago, envisioned the theater as a little palace; a place in which theatergoers could feel as if they were royalty amid many architectural styles including Baroque, Spanish Renaissance, Greco-Roman and even a little Art Deco.
Through the 1920s – 1940s, the theater hosted famous artists and acts including: Ziegfeld Follies featuring Fanny Brice, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Houdini, Betty Davis, Bing Crosby, Debbie Reynolds, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.
In the early days, it served as a vaudeville house and shows ran continuously with a new act every ten minutes. Broadway troupes traveling from New York to Chicago would often stop in South Bend and perform on the Palace Theatre stage.
History
The Morris Performing Arts Center, originally called the Palace Theatre until the late 1950s, was built in 1922 as part of the Orpheum Theatre chain. The theater cost $1 million to build and was constructed on a $100,000 piece of property. It was the most modern theater in the country.
In the early days, it served as a vaudeville house and shows ran continuously with a new act every ten minutes. Broadway troupes traveling from New York to Chicago would often stop in South Bend and perform on the Palace Theatre stage.
At its inception, the interiors of the theater were glorious. Old roses, blues and creams dominated and not one single architectural style could define the structure. The architect, J.S. Aroner from Chicago, envisioned the theater as a little palace; a place in which theatergoers could feel as if they were royalty amid many architectural styles including Baroque, Spanish Renaissance, Greco-Roman and even a little Art Deco.
Through the 1920s – 1940s, the theater hosted famous artists and acts including: Ziegfeld Follies featuring Fanny Brice, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Houdini, Betty Davis, Bing Crosby, Debbie Reynolds, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.
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