HISTORY OF THE BOULDER THEATER If
you are looking for more technical or physical characteristics
of the theater, try the Rent
the Theater section. Or if you need directions
to the Theater click
here.
 From
opera to movies to disco to rock - the historic Boulder Theater
has a diverse and colorful past that is being continued with
a thriving present
and is primed for an exciting future. Opened in 1906
as Curran Opera House by wealthy billboard sign owner James
Curran, the venue featured opera, musical productions and
silent movies. In 1927 the first talkie, "The Jazz Singer",
was presented by Warner Brothers. With the advent of the
motion picture, all live performances ceased as the theater
became a movie house from 1927 to 1978. During the Depression,
the theater kept going with double features and "Country
Store Nights", when sacks of groceries were given away to
those in the lucky numbered seats.
 The
building as it stands today was designed by Robert Boller
of Kansas City and had it's Opening Night on January 9, 1936.
The construction included an expansion of the Opera House
and was finished in modernistic lines. The theater facade
was decorated in the art deco style popular at that time,
with Terra Cotta, colored glass and black glass tiles. The
interior was painted with two twenty-five foot murals on
either side in green and blue hues and a western themed mural
on the ceiling in shades of orange. Before the opening a
contest was held through the local newspaper to name the
theater. The winning name was "The Boulder", with the entrant
receiving a one year pass to the theater.
 In
1981, the theater was once again renovated, this time into
a state-of-the-art concert
hall by Mountain Productions. It featured such diverse acts
as Bonnie Raitt, the Plasmatics, Jeff Lorber and Timothy
Leary. Mountain Productions operated the theater for 15 months,
but the rigid movie house style seating restricted a diversity
of activity and the theater was forced to close. The community
rallied to reopen the theater, and in 1988 it was transformed
into a multi-use hall with cabaret style seating. Care was
given to preserve the art deco ornamentation, including the
hand-painted murals and fresco ceiling.
New
Hope Communications, purchased the theater in 1995, with
plans to operate it primarily as an entertainment venue,
while also bringing in non-musical and community events.
Recent renovations have expanded the Boulder Theater's capabilities
as a multi-use facility. It has featured top acts such as
Tori Amos, Blues Traveler, Branford Marsalis and Johnny Cash,
some of which have performed on E-Town, the nationally syndicated
radio show that makes it's home at the theater. The versatility
of the Boulder Theater makes it perfect for events ranging
from meetings and conferences to live theater, private parties
and concerts. Classic in design, with prime sound and an
impressive tradition of the best in entertainment, the Historic
Boulder Theater unites the past with the future in one exceptional
space. |