The Ogden Theatre is a music venue and former movie theater in
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
, United States. Located at 935 E. Colfax Avenue in the neighborhood of
Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill, in addition to being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington, D.C., stretching easterly in front of the United States Capitol along wide avenues. It is one of the ...
, 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
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
History
The Ogden Theatre was part of the Fox Theater circuit of movie theaters. 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 A revival house or repertory cinema is a cinema that specializes in showing classic or notable older films (as opposed to first run films). Such venues may include standard repertory cinemas, multi-function theatres that alternate between old movie ...
that featured the cult movie classic, ''
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' is a 1975 musical comedy horror film by 20th Century Fox, produced by Lou Adler and Michael White and directed by Jim Sharman. The screenplay was written by Sharman and actor Richard O'Brien, who is also ...
'' 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 and current hosts approximately 150 concerts per year. In 2006, NIPP leased the venue to
AEG Live
Allgemeine Elektricitäts-Gesellschaft AG (AEG; ) was a German producer of electrical equipment founded in Berlin as the ''Deutsche Edison-Gesellschaft für angewandte Elektricität'' in 1883 by Emil Rathenau. During the Second World War, AEG ...
.
Colorado bands that played at the Ogden Theatre include
The Fray
The Fray is an American rock band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2002 by schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King. Their debut album, ''How to Save a Life'' released in 2005, was certified double platinum by the RIAA and platinum in Australia, ...
with
OneRepublic
OneRepublic is an American pop rock band formed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2002. It consists of lead vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Tedder, lead guitarist and violist Zach Filkins, rhythm guitarist Drew Brown, bassist and cellis ...
in 2011,
3OH!3
3OH!3 (pronounced "three oh three") is an American electronic music duo from Boulder, Colorado, made up of Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte. They are best known for their single "DONTTRUSTME" from their album ''Want'', which reached number sev ...
in '09,
Flobots
Flobots is an experimental rap rock band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2005 by Jamie Laurie. The band's origins date back 5 years earlier to a similar project by Laurie. Flobots found mainstream success with their major label debut ''Fight ...
in '10,
Pretty Lights
Derek Vincent Smith (born November 25, 1981), known by his stage name Pretty Lights, is an American electronic music producer. Pretty Lights was originally a music project consisting of Smith and Michal Menert, who left after the release of their ...
in '13, and
The Lumineers
The Lumineers are an American alternative folk band based in Denver, Colorado. The founding members are Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion, piano). Schultz and Fraites began writing and performing toge ...
in 2015.
Popular culture
In the 2002 movie ''
About Schmidt
''About Schmidt'' is a 2002 American comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Alexander Payne and starring Jack Nicholson in the title role. The film also stars Hope Davis, Dermot Mulroney, and Kathy Bates. It is loosely based on the 1996 nov ...
'',
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...
drives by the theater in his motorhome when he pulls into Denver.
Hip hop artists Atmosphere mention the Ogden Theater in their song "National Disgrace" - Last thing I remember was the Ogden Theatre in the backstage bathroom, making out with all three of ya...
See also
*
Fillmore Auditorium
References
External links
Ogden Theatre's Official Website
{{National Register of Historic Places
Theatres completed in 1917
National Register of Historic Places in Denver
Music venues in Colorado
Theatres in Denver
Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Colorado