Boulder Theater

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.
---www.bouldertheater.com