285:
559:
515:
341:, he took over the management of the second Boyd Theater and set about making it the premier live theater venue in Omaha. He introduced the first mail-order tickets in town and strived to book the premier acts. He even opened an acting school for fledgling dramatists. But even Burgess's efforts could not sway the audiences changing tastes towards
537:
181:
The new five story theater was constructed on an iron framework with a pressed red brick exterior. There was retail space on the street level, and office space within the interior. The total cost of construction and furnishings was $ 250,000. The Boyd
Theater's stage was 78 feet wide, 40 feet deep
332:
The man primarily responsible for the quality and the variety of the shows appearing on the Boyd
Theater's stage was William J. Burgess. Burgess had been involved in theaters since the age of 12. He initially came to Omaha to manage the Grand Opera House and later managed the original Boyd
280:
A man bled to death in the wings of the Boyd
Theater during one performance, with no one in the audience the wiser. A song and dance man, Jim Mulligan, died after being stabbed by Arthur Sprague, a stage manager, after making an offensive comment about Mrs. Sprague.
352:
increased, the company eventually closed the theater. The last performance in the theater was on
February 2, 1920. It was demolished in 1920 and the property redeveloped for their department store business. Currently, the property houses the
207:, 200 trunks of costumes, 167 professional actors and 21 full sets. Once local actors were added to the production, the cast ultimately rose to 300. The Boyd Theater was capable of handling even productions of this size.
174:. In addition to serving as Nebraska's governor and Omaha's mayor, Boyd was a successful railroad and real estate developer. One of the first celebrities to appear at the original Boyd's was
634:
348:
In 1914, Boyd's
Theater was sold to the Burgess-Nash Company for $ 231,000. Initially they continued to manage it as a theater, but as the competition from
639:
178:
in 1882. After the original Boyd Opera House burned twelve years later, Boyd built his new 2,000-seat theater and opera house at 17th and Harney
Streets.
306:. Bernhardt traveled with her own custom railway car. Also traveling with her on the train was her own carriage, a team of black horses, and a French
53:
584:
238:. Their second appearances occurred on December 31, 1901, and January 1, 1902. Other toasted performers to grace Boyd Theater's stage included:
193:
There were 17 full sets of scenery when the theater opened on
September 3, 1891. The first play presented on the house's stage was
599:
190:. The theater was decorated in tones of sage green and soft tones of olive to complement the electric lighting throughout.
614:
624:
619:
562:. The Omaha Sunday Bee Newspaper, Omaha, Douglas County, NE, USA. May 17, 1914. p. PART THREE, Page 8-C, Image 36
629:
404:
46:
162:. It was demolished in 1920 and the property redeveloped for the then owner's department store business.
354:
171:
284:
420:
334:
322:
540:. The Omaha Sunday Bee News Newspaper, Omaha, Douglas County, NE, USA. January 23, 1916. p. 1
326:
210:
Some of the most prominent actors of the time appeared on the Boyd
Theater's stage. English
222:
appeared twice in Omaha. The first time was April 20 and 21, 1900 with the productions of
518:. The Omaha Bee News Newspaper, Omaha, Douglas County, NE, USA. February 1, 1916. p. 5
197:, with Thomas F. Boyd as the theater's manager. One particularly elaborate production of
8:
594:
262:
224:
170:
The first Boyd's Opera House in Omaha was built in 1881 at 15th and Farnam
Streets by
400:
255:
247:
258:
251:
234:
219:
215:
101:
394:
338:
297:
270:
31:
337:
opened, he served as its manager for two years. Once that theater joined the
199:
155:
485:
Fanders, R. H. (October 6, 1963). "When Omaha Had Its Golden Age of
Theater".
608:
266:
243:
211:
68:
55:
39:
589:
480:
478:
476:
474:
472:
470:
468:
466:
464:
462:
460:
458:
456:
454:
452:
450:
239:
448:
446:
444:
442:
440:
438:
436:
434:
432:
430:
274:
175:
151:
530:
427:
349:
183:
187:
493:
307:
302:
182:
and 60 feet high. The curtain drops were 26 feet by 46 feet. The
159:
35:
318:
311:
147:
502:
The Omaha World-Herald Newspaper, Omaha, Douglas County, NE, USA
487:
The Omaha World-Herald Newspaper, Omaha, Douglas County, NE, USA
204:
552:
397:
Building for the ages : Omaha's architectural landmarks
595:
Alternate Postcard of Second Boyd's Theater and Opera House
342:
345:
and the rising costs of mounting a live stage production.
413:
390:
388:
386:
384:
382:
380:
378:
376:
374:
372:
370:
635:
Demolished buildings and structures in Omaha, Nebraska
399:(1st ed.). Omaha, Neb.: Omaha Books. p. 20.
314:. The entire city knew when Bernhardt was in town.
203:
required the theater to accommodate 10 train cars of
367:
508:
590:Postcard of Second Boyd's Theater and Opera House
606:
395:Jeffrey S. Spencer , Kristine Gerber (2003).
640:Buildings and structures demolished in 1920
538:"Gives Over Life of Ease for Art She Loves"
585:1882 Photo of Original Boyd's Opera House
421:"Oscar Wilde lectures at Boyd's in Omaha"
325:, friend and senior advisor to President
500:"Raze Boyd Theater Soon For New Store".
283:
186:was modeled after an ornate arch in the
484:
607:
300:appeared on the Boyd Theater stage in
329:, often performed at Boyd's Theater.
88:James E. Boyd, later Burgess-Nash Co.
321:Frances Nash, who would later marry
13:
14:
651:
578:
560:"Boyd Theater Building Is Sold"
144:Boyd's Theater and Opera House
17:Boyd's Theater and Opera House
1:
360:
355:Omaha Public Power District's
7:
615:Theatres in Omaha, Nebraska
504:. June 10, 1919. p. 4.
114:September 3, 1891
10:
656:
625:History of Omaha, Nebraska
620:Theatres completed in 1891
165:
335:Creighton Orpheum Theater
154:at 1621 Harney Street in
133:
125:
110:
100:
92:
84:
45:
25:
21:
630:Downtown Omaha, Nebraska
600:Razing of Boyd's Theater
96:Theater and Opera House
293:
516:"Nash-Hamlin Recital"
327:Franklin D. Roosevelt
287:
69:41.25655°N 95.93747°W
333:Theater. When the
489:. pp. 126–127.
288:Sarah Bernhardt in
74:41.25655; -95.93747
65: /
18:
294:
225:Merchant of Venice
29:1621 Harney Street
16:
357:downtown office.
256:Robert B. Mantell
141:
140:
647:
572:
571:
569:
567:
556:
550:
549:
547:
545:
534:
528:
527:
525:
523:
512:
506:
505:
497:
491:
490:
482:
425:
424:
417:
411:
410:
392:
259:Joseph Jefferson
252:Walker Whiteside
220:Dame Ellen Terry
216:Sir Henry Irving
129:February 2, 1920
121:
119:
80:
79:
77:
76:
75:
70:
66:
63:
62:
61:
58:
19:
15:
655:
654:
650:
649:
648:
646:
645:
644:
605:
604:
581:
576:
575:
565:
563:
558:
557:
553:
543:
541:
536:
535:
531:
521:
519:
514:
513:
509:
499:
498:
494:
483:
428:
419:
418:
414:
407:
393:
368:
363:
343:motion pictures
339:Orpheum Circuit
298:Sarah Bernhardt
271:Ethel Barrymore
168:
117:
115:
73:
71:
67:
64:
59:
56:
54:
52:
51:
38:
30:
12:
11:
5:
653:
643:
642:
637:
632:
627:
622:
617:
603:
602:
597:
592:
587:
580:
579:External links
577:
574:
573:
551:
529:
507:
492:
426:
412:
405:
365:
364:
362:
359:
350:talking movies
230:Nance Oldfield
167:
164:
156:Downtown Omaha
139:
138:
135:
131:
130:
127:
123:
122:
112:
108:
107:
104:
98:
97:
94:
90:
89:
86:
82:
81:
49:
43:
42:
27:
23:
22:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
652:
641:
638:
636:
633:
631:
628:
626:
623:
621:
618:
616:
613:
612:
610:
601:
598:
596:
593:
591:
588:
586:
583:
582:
561:
555:
539:
533:
517:
511:
503:
496:
488:
481:
479:
477:
475:
473:
471:
469:
467:
465:
463:
461:
459:
457:
455:
453:
451:
449:
447:
445:
443:
441:
439:
437:
435:
433:
431:
422:
416:
408:
406:0-9745410-1-X
402:
398:
391:
389:
387:
385:
383:
381:
379:
377:
375:
373:
371:
366:
358:
356:
351:
346:
344:
340:
336:
330:
328:
324:
320:
315:
313:
309:
305:
304:
299:
291:
286:
282:
278:
276:
272:
268:
267:Julia Marlowe
264:
263:Leslie Carter
260:
257:
253:
249:
245:
244:E. H. Sothern
241:
237:
236:
231:
227:
226:
221:
217:
213:
212:Shakespearean
208:
206:
202:
201:
196:
191:
189:
185:
179:
177:
173:
172:James E. Boyd
163:
161:
157:
153:
149:
145:
136:
132:
128:
124:
113:
109:
105:
103:
99:
95:
91:
87:
83:
78:
50:
48:
44:
41:
40:United States
37:
33:
28:
24:
20:
564:. Retrieved
554:
542:. Retrieved
532:
520:. Retrieved
510:
501:
495:
486:
415:
396:
347:
331:
323:Edwin Watson
316:
301:
295:
292:, circa 1887
289:
279:
240:Otis Skinner
233:
229:
223:
209:
198:
194:
192:
180:
169:
143:
142:
134:Years active
317:Omaha-born
275:Maude Adams
176:Oscar Wilde
152:opera house
72: /
47:Coordinates
609:Categories
361:References
184:proscenium
118:1891-09-03
60:95°56′15″W
57:41°15′24″N
296:In 1905,
248:John Drew
235:The Bells
188:Taj Mahal
137:1891–1920
566:13 March
544:14 March
522:13 March
308:coachman
303:La Tosca
290:La Tosca
160:Nebraska
102:Capacity
36:Nebraska
319:pianist
312:hostler
214:actors
200:Henry V
195:Alabama
166:History
148:theater
116: (
26:Address
403:
205:armour
146:was a
126:Closed
111:Opened
106:2,000
85:Owner
32:Omaha
568:2014
546:2014
524:2014
401:ISBN
310:and
273:and
232:and
218:and
150:and
93:Type
611::
429:^
369:^
277:.
269:,
265:,
261:,
254:,
250:,
246:,
242:,
228:,
158:,
34:,
570:.
548:.
526:.
423:.
409:.
120:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.