Ogden Theater
Encyclopedia
The Odgen Theater is a music venue and former movie theater in Denver, Colorado
, United States. Located at 935 E. Colfax Avenue in the neighborhood of Capitol Hill, it was built in 1917 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
. By 1937 it had been converted to a movie theater that featured everything from the classics to the avant garde. In the '80's it also featured the cult movie classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show
. The inside and outside of the Ogden Theater have been renovated many times throughout the years, as well as a host of different marquee signs have been used. The current sign on the front of the theater has been in place since 1993.
In the late 1980s, ownership of the theater changed hands numerous times until the theater was closed in 1990. The theater was marked for demolition until Doug Kauffman of the independent live music promoter Nobody In Particular Presents purchased the building in 1992. Kauffman's vision was to turn the Ogden Theater into a premiere music venue.
The Ogden Theater was re-opened in 1993 featuring a wide variety of live performances. The theatre found its niche and has become Denver's premier concert venue featuring approximately 150 concerts per year. In 2005, NIPP sold the venue to AEG Live.
Hip hop artist Atmosphere mentions the Ogden Theater in their song "National Disgrace" - Last thing I remember was the Ogden Theatre in the backstage bathroom, making out with all three of ya...
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, United States. Located at 935 E. Colfax Avenue in the neighborhood of Capitol Hill, it was built in 1917 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
The Ogden Theater was opened in 1919 by John Thompson, who also ran the Thompson (later Bluebird) Theater. The Ogden Theatre originally hosted live performances such as weekly organ recitals, dances, lectures and vaudeville acts - most notably, the legendary Harry HoudiniHarry Houdini
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
. By 1937 it had been converted to a movie theater that featured everything from the classics to the avant garde. In the '80's it also featured the cult movie classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
. The inside and outside of the Ogden Theater have been renovated many times throughout the years, as well as a host of different marquee signs have been used. The current sign on the front of the theater has been in place since 1993.
In the late 1980s, ownership of the theater changed hands numerous times until the theater was closed in 1990. The theater was marked for demolition until Doug Kauffman of the independent live music promoter Nobody In Particular Presents purchased the building in 1992. Kauffman's vision was to turn the Ogden Theater into a premiere music venue.
The Ogden Theater was re-opened in 1993 featuring a wide variety of live performances. The theatre found its niche and has become Denver's premier concert venue featuring approximately 150 concerts per year. In 2005, NIPP sold the venue to AEG Live.
Popular culture
- In the 2002 movie About SchmidtAbout SchmidtAbout Schmidt is a 2002 American comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Payne, starring Jack Nicholson in the title role. It is loosely based on the 1996 novel of the same title by Louis Begley. Many of the scenes were filmed on location, especially in Omaha, Nebraska and Denver, Colorado...
, Jack NicholsonJack NicholsonJohn Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
drives by the theater in his motorhome when he pulls into Denver.
Hip hop artist Atmosphere mentions the Ogden Theater in their song "National Disgrace" - Last thing I remember was the Ogden Theatre in the backstage bathroom, making out with all three of ya...