WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A nearly 100-year-old theater is gearing up for a $14 million capital campaign to complete a renovation of the auditorium.
The Wichita Eagle reports that $1.5 million has been raised for the Orpheum Theatre’s restoration so far.
The theater’s president, Jennifer Allen, says it will ideally take two years to raise the funds. The goal is for all of the Orpheum’s restoration to be completed in time for its centennial in 2022.
The theater recently completed a $500,000 restoration of the auditorium foyer and east stair tower.
The Orpheum was built in 1922 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It closed in 1976 and was slated for demolition before volunteers stepped up to try to renovate the building. It was reopened in 2000.
