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TheaTre Tours (in alphabeTical order)

Folly Theater, Kansas City, MO

The Folly Theater has been at the vanguard of Kansas City
performing arts since it opened in 1900 as the “largest and
most comfortable” vaudeville house in the Great West.
Designed by Kansas City’s famed architect Louis Curtiss, the
hall received rave reviews for its excellent acoustics, high style,
and intimacy. Throughout her first four decades, the Folly stage
welcomed revered performers, including the Marx Brothers,
Humphrey Bogart, Shirley Booth, Jack Dempsey vs. Jack
Johnson, and Gypsy Rose Lee.
Facing a wrecking ball after years of misuse, civic leaders
Joan Kent Dillon and William Deramus III rallied to rescue this
beautiful theater in 1973. In June 1974, the Folly was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and
in 1975 the real work began. Funds were raised, roof leaks were fixed, the building was secured, and a deep
cleaning commenced which included removal of nine metric tons of pigeon droppings from the building.
The doors reopened permanently in November 1981 under the management of Performing Arts Foundation
of Kansas City, a nonprofit corporation. Since then, the theater has welcomed appearances by Alvin Ailey
American Dance Theater, Gregory Hines, Barack Obama, Patti Lupone, Yo-Yo Ma, Oleta Adams, and many
more. Renowned flutist Sir James Galway knighted the Folly as “Kansas City’s Carnegie Hall.” But perhaps
Oleta Adams said it best: “Performers really believe that the Folly Theater’s walls still contain the souls of all
the performers who’ve been here.”
In 2016 the theater began extensive work to bring “The Grand Lady of 12th Street” into the 21st century.
After $6.9 million in renovations including new seats, carpet, handrails, hardwood floors, and curtains;
renovated balcony lobby and bar, restrooms, and 2nd floor lounge; updated energy-efficient HVAC system;
the addition of Wi-Fi access points and digital signboards; and more, the Folly’s historic warmth, elegance,
and design remains as a glimpse into the past but with the comfort of present-day amenities.
Today, the Folly Theater strives to make the arts accessible and accepting through diverse programming. The
theater presents Kansas City’s longest running Jazz Series, dating to 1982, as well as an Americana Series
and an education-enriching Kids Series. A popular venue among rental clients, Folly audiences also enjoy
classical music, dance, drag shows, comedians, social media influencers, and podcasts. There is something
for everyone at the Folly.

Midland Theatre, Kansas City, MO

The Midland is a 2,200-seat theater located in the Power & Light District. It was built by Marcus Loew,
completed in 1927, at a cost of $4 million and was the largest historic theater within 250 miles of the city.
The Midland was designed by architect Thomas W. Lamb of New York and the Boller Brothers of Kansas
City, and Boaz-Kiel Construction of St. Louis erected the structure. The theatre, built in French and Italian
Baroque, was representative of Lamb’s work in the late 1920s.The exterior of the theatre was constructed in
a Renaissance Revival style in cream glazed terra cotta brick, adorned with engaged pilasters, winged figures,
leaves, flowers, swags, volutes, urns, and arches. A four-story arched window rose above a copper and gold
marquee that contained 3,600 light bulbs. The theater is well known for its over 500,000 feet of gold leaf,
five giant Czechoslovakian hand-cut crystal chandeliers, irreplaceable art objects and precious antiques, and
PAGE 28 | INLEAGUE League of Historic American Theatres