Page 36 - Vol46-No02-Summer-2023-inLeague

ramble TheaTre Tours (in alphabeTical order)

Aztec Shawnee Theater, Shawnee, KS

Built in 1927 by the Boller Brothers, the theater was originally called the
Mission Theater due to its Spanish Mission style architecture. In the late
40’s, Dickenson purchased the theater, remodeled it, and reopened it as the
Aztec Theater. Due to the move to multiscreen theaters, the Aztec Theater
closed in 1974.
25 years later the theater was again purchased with plans to restore it. The
first addition was a vintage marquee from the Plaza Theater in Abilene,
Kansas. But in 2002 the project came to a halt.
In 2017, Chris Calkins along with his brother Jeff and their friend Bruce
Young purchased the theater and began the restoration project. After two
years of work and typical delays, the completion date was moved to June
2020. Covid-19 created delays in early 2020, and an altered business plan to
include live music was formulated, causing the opening date to be pushed back to December 2020.
After nearly 50 years, the grand opening of the Aztec Shawnee Theater occurred on December 13th, 2020, with a gala fundraiser.
A few remnants of the original theater still exist as well as other local, historical items. The art deco interior includes a
reproduction tin ceiling, light fixtures, and crown molding, all with a vintage feel, but with modern technological conveniences.
Live weekend concerts have steadily increased, and classic movies began being shown in October 2021, starting with the 1931
horror movie “Dracula” starring Bella Lugosi. This was the first movie to be shown at the Aztec in nearly 50 years. The Aztec
Shawnee Theater continues to operate with continued support of the local community. This has created a surge of new businesses
to open in the Downtown Shawnee area, including breweries, restaurants, and cocktail bars.

Jayhawk Theatre, Topeka, KS

Located in the heart of Downtown Topeka, Kansas, the Historic Jayhawk
Theatre opened its doors in 1926, fulfilling the dream of Topeka
businessman E.H. Crosby to build the city’s first deluxe motion picture
palace. His bigger vision was realized just two years later with the opening
of the 300-room Jayhawk Hotel and connecting Jayhawk (Commercial
Arcade) Walk. The entire Jayhawk Complex was known for its penthouse and
roof garden parties, fine dining, live dancing and entertainment, social and
political functions, and cutting-edge amenities, including air conditioning, an
elaborate telephone system, marble stairways, ornate chandeliers, bronze
elevator doors and spectacular glass retail display cases that lined the
Jayhawk Walk.
The theater was designed by the esteemed Boller Brothers of Kansas
City, who used this state-of-the-art ‘fire-proof’ design as a model for numerous classic theaters across the country. Thomas
W. Williamson was the renowned architect of record. The decorative proscenium arch is adorned with ornate sunflowers and
Jayhawk embellishments, highlighting the stunning Goddess of Agriculture mural, designed by William Peaco of Chicago, all which
contributed to its designation as the Official State Theatre of Kansas.
Throughout its early years, the Jayhawk Theatre delighted audiences with a mix of movies and live performances, including Bob
Hope, George Burns, Gypsy Rose Lee, and Marilyn Maye. Unfortunately, the theater closed its doors in 1976 and sat abandoned
with virtually no maintenance for more than three decades. Since the mid 1990’s, there have been efforts to re-open and restore
the Jayhawk Theatre. In 2015, after years of planning and investment, the theater reopened for small public events, movies and
shows in an unrestored state.
With the inspiring transformation of Downtown Topeka through more than $100M cumulative investment in the past ten years,
the Jayhawk Theatre is poised to be an economic driver and anchor for a thriving Downtown Arts & Entertainment District. In May
2023, the theater received the catalytic boost it needed through a $5M SPRINT grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce,
acknowledging its tremendous potential to further leverage the State Capital as a vibrant cultural and tourism destination.
Restoration is scheduled to begin in 2024.
PAGE 34 | INLEAGUE League of Historic American Theatres