The St. Charles Theatre was one of the most luxurious theaters in the country when it was constructed in the early 1830's. It cost more than $320,000 and had a seating capacity of over 4,000. The theater was located on St. Charles Avenue, between Poydras and Gravier Streets. It burned down in 1842 and was rebuilt about a year later, on the same extravagant scale.
The second St. Charles Theatre had a longer run, but, eventually, suffered the same fate as the first and burned to the ground in 1899. In 1902, a third theater was built on the spot - respectable, but less grand - and, this time, it was called the Orpheum and was famous for its vaudeville acts.
When a new Orpheum Theater was constructed in 1924, just a few blocks from the first, the old Orpheum was sold to the Saenger Theater group. They re-named it, giving it the name of the first two theaters on that site, the St. Charles, and made it a combination movie house and live stage theater. The theater was home to one of the last hold-outs of stock theatrical companies in the city. But, in 1932, it was remodeled and turned into a movies-only theater.
For over 120 years, a theater stood at this location, running the gamut, from repertory companies to variety shows to movies. For a brief time, in the late 1940's, it was even home to a burlesque company and called Casino de Paree.
When it was sold in 1965, it had been empty for several years. The building was torn down to make room for a parking lot - an ignominious ending for the site of what was once one of the most important theaters in American history. |
