Ogden Theatre facts for kids
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| Former names | Fox Theatres, National General Cinemas (NGC), Mann Theatres and Landmark Theater (1977-90) |
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| Address | 935 E Colfax Ave Denver, CO 80218-1914 |
| Location | Capitol Hill |
| Owner | Doug Kauffman |
| Operator | AEG Rocky Mountains |
| Capacity | 1,600 |
| Current use | music venue |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | November 13, 1916 |
| Opened | September 6, 1917 |
| Closed | 1990-93 |
| Reopened | September 2, 1993 |
| Rebuilt | 1974, 1993, 2006 |
| Architect | Harry W.J. Edbrooke |
| Website | |
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Ogden Theatre
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| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Mediterranean Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 95001055 |
| Added to NRHP | August 31, 1995 |
The Ogden Theatre 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 has a maximum capacity of 1,600 for concerts. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
History
The Ogden Theatre 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 Houdini. By 1937 it had been converted to a movie theater that featured everything from the classics to the avant-garde. It was part of the Fox Theater circuit of movie theatres. After the DOJ ordered divestiture of the exhibition theatre division of Fox, the theatre was acquired by National General Corporation (NGC). In 1970, the theater underwent a major remodel that included a new marquee, a complete remodel of the lobby and auditorium including main floor seating and loge seating in the balcony, acoustics, and the conversion of the screen to play anamorphic and flat features. The remodel also included an update to play both optical and 4 track magnetic film soundtracks. In 1977, the theatre was acquired by Mann Theatres when it purchased Nation General Corporation's theater business. In the 1980s it was a revival house that featured the cult movie classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show every Saturday night. The inside and outside of the Ogden Theatre have been renovated many times throughout the years, as well as a host of different marquee signs have been used. The flat marquee on the theater was added during a major remodel in the 1970s and was upgraded in 1993.
In the late 1980s, ownership of the theater changed hands numerous times until the theater was closed in 1990. The theatre 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 premier music venue.
The Ogden Theatre was re-opened in 1993 featuring a wide variety of live performances. The theatre found its niche and has become a premier concert venue in Denver featuring approximately 150 concerts per year. In 2006, NIPP leased the venue to AEG Live.
