Burlesque at the Rose Theatre | Omaha, NE
The Rose Theater | 2001 Farnam Street, Omaha, NE
The Riviera Theatre | 1927
The Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center (AKA the Rose Theater) was built in 1926 on the corner of 20th and Farnam Streets in Omaha, NE. It was originally named the Riviera Theatre. It opened on March 26, 1927 with Adolphe Menjou in “Evening Clothes." It originally had 2,776 seats when it opened.
The Riviera was designed by architect John Eberson and was designed as an atmospheric Moorish and Italian Renaissance-style theatre. The interior style was dubbed 'Hispano-Italian' by Eberson. The Theater showed stage shows in addition to motion pictures and 'photoplays.' The lower lobby had water fountains and fish aquariums. The orchestra pit had a Wurlitzer theatre organ.
The Paramount Theatre | 1929
Two years after the Grand Opening of the Riviera Theatre, the name was changed to the Paramount, as it became a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures Inc. Burlesque was ramping up to be the bread and butter of entertainment and the Paramount did not miss out on the fun!
"The Desert Song" At Paramount | 1929
In 1929, the Paramount hosted the motion picture show "The Desert Song" starring Carlotta King and John Boles with Myrna Loy. It boasted 132 singing voices, 116 exotic dancers, and 110-Piece orchestra on the silver screen! This was an operetta I'd argue is an early burlesque production. This production led the way for other burlesques to show at the Paramount. It was a pre-code operetta and was Paramount's first all-talking, all-singing, operetta on their screen.
Sally Rand at the Paramount Theatre | 1934
Sally Rand was a burlesque star after the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. She began traveling the country with her fan dance and balloon/bubble dance. In 1934, Sally Rand appeared in person on the Paramount stage. After her performance, the screen was dropped and "Bolero" featuring Rand was shown. Seats were just 25 cents for the matinee and 35 cents for the evening show.
Catholics Banned from Seeing Sally Rand - 1934
(Gwiazda Zachodu. "Bishop Rummel's Warning." February 23, 1934)
The article states, "Bishop Rummel's Warning: The space in our paper does not allow to reprint in full the letters sent by Bishop Joseph F. Rummel of the Omaha diocese to each Catholic pastor in Omaha and to Mr. Roy N. Rowl, Mayor of Omaha. Bishop Rummel protests against featuring of a certain fan dancer in the Paramount theatre beginning Friday of this week and prohibits all Catholics of his diocese to attend the show 'under pain of grievous sin.'
Bishop Rummel is absolutely right. Since some time we have noticed that in various Omaha theatres a new type of talking pictures has become the vogue. The producers have apparently not been satisfied with the kind of sex pictures offered the public two or three years ago. Now they manifestingly present scenes and dialogues which are bare of even the most delicate veil of decency.
To climax all this highly suggestive and demoralizing sex stuff the management of one of the local theatres deems advisable to present what they call a fan dancer who, last summer, shocked and rocked even the most sophisticated people attending the Century of Progress Exposition in Chicago. Show men ought to know, that there is a limit to everything. You don't build up a good show attendance in a city of descent people by catering to the pervert cravings of few. Respectable parents will abhor the idea, we are sure, of having their children, even of mature age, attending the presentation of a fan dancer of the reputation of the individual in question.
We wholeheartedly subscribe to the protest of the Rt. Rev. Bishop and trust that at least the Catholics of Omaha and especially the readers of the 'Western Star' will heed the warning of their apostolic leader."
The Chez Paree at Paramount | 1935
Folies de Paree at Paramount | 1935
Another fantastic stage burlesque show came to the Paramount in March 1935, entitled 'Folies de Paree.' It boasted "a revue of 45 artists, from Paris to Broadway to you!" It featured the Parisian Melodians, Bernie & Walker, Jose & Marcy Novelle, Currie & Naida, Mlle. QUellair, Mlle. Janice, Sally Et Bo Bo, Les Jacksons, 25 Parisian models, 16 'folies de paree beaux'tes' compiling 4 stage shows. On screen was Fred MacMurray in "Car 99."
The Hot Mikado | 1939
Although "The Hot Mikado" was not a burlesque show, I found it worth mentioning this production. The Hot Mikado was a musical theatre adaptation of Gilbert and Sullivan's comedic opera "The Mikado" (1885) with an all-black cast.
It debuted at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York on March 1,1939 after icing out another 'Mikado' reproduction called "The Swing Mikado", which was being produced at a theater directly across the street from the Broadhurst in New York.
It featured Bill "Bojangles" Robinson as the Mikado and Rosa Brown as Katisha. The show ran for 85 performances on Broadway before moving to the 1939 New York World's Fair. The costumes and sets were designed by Nat Karson. View rare footage of the Hot Mikado (1939,1940) here.
The Hot Mikado performed at the New York World's Fair for two seasons--1939 and 1940! There the show was produced on a larger scale with 150 actors and to huge success. The show played four times a day, seven days a week at the World's Fair!
The Hot Mikado at the Paramount Theatre | Omaha, NE
The Astro Theater | 1962
The Paramount Theatre fell dark in 1952, only bringing in a few stage shows. It was renovated by the Dubinsky Brothers and reopened in June 16, 1962 with reduced seating of 1,465. It opened with "Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation" starring James Stewart. The Astro Theatre closed in the early 1980s.
The Rose Blumkin Center for Performing Arts |
(The Rose Theater. September 25, 2019)
Today, the Rose Theater is home to the Omaha Theater Company. The Omaha Theater Company's beginnings lie with Emmy Gifford, who in 1948, created the Omaha Junior Theater in Omaha. They had no permanent home until 1974 when a capital campaign funded the Center Theater. The theater was renamed The Emmy Gifford Children's Theater in 1977. In 1993, the Blumkin Family bought the old Astro Theater and donated it to the Omaha Theater Company. It was renamed The Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center after a $10.3 million renovation, funded by the President Susie Buffett. The first production at the Rose Theater was in 1995. It continues to this day with exceptional theatrical productions and educational programming. It tends to cater its programming for children ages 4 to 18, though patrons of all ages attend shows.
Sources
- https://rosetheater.org/about/?gad_source=1
- https://rosetheater.org/about/history/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hot_Mikado_(1939_production)
- https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/906
- https://playbill.com/production/the-hot-mikado-broadhurst-theatre-vault-0000002123
- https://myculturallandscape.blogspot.com/2019/10/once-you-go-black.html
- The Omaha Evening Bee News. Paramount Theatre Advertisement. March 15, 1935
- Omaha World Herald. Paramount Theatre Advertisement. February 23, 1935
- Omaha World Herald. Paramount Theatre Advertisement. February 22, 1934
- Omaha World Herald. Paramount Theatre Advertisement. February 21, 1934
- Omaha World Herald. Paramount Theatre Advertisement. February 20, 1934
- Omaha World Herald. Paramount Advertisement. May 17, 1929
- Gwiazda Zachodu. "Bishop Rummel's Warning." February 23, 1934
- Mordden, Ethan. "Sing for Your Supper: The Broadway Musical in the 1930s." St. Martin's Publishing Group. April 7, 2015
- Vallillo, Stephen M. "The Battle of the Black Mikados." Black American Literature Forum. Vol. 16, No. 4, Black Theatre Issue (Winter, 1982), pp. 153-157. African American Review (St. Louis University)
- New York Public Library Digital Archives, Bill Rose Theatre Division. "The Hot Mikado" (1939)
- Evening World Herald. "Robinson, 'Hot Mikado' Froze Out Original Show." Page 11. March 7, 1940