Orpheum Theatre

Oct 16, 1921: Originally known as the Hennepin, the Orpheum Theatre opens to present live vaudeville acts. The theatre was designed by the Milwaukee firm of Kirchoff & Rose and cost $1 million to build. Among the performers on the first playbill were the Marx Brothers; over 70,000 guests attended the opening week run. The Orpheum becomes a major outlet for such vaudeville entertainers as Jack Benny, Burns & Allen and Fanny Brice. The best seats in the house sold for 47 cents, and children's tickets were 9 cents. The Orpheum featured a playroom and day-care services for small children on the first floor mezzanine lobby.