The Jefferson Theatre is a historic performing arts theatre located on Fannin Street in downtown

Beaumont, Texas Beaumont is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, Jefferson County, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area, located in Southeast Texas on the Neches River about east of Houston (city ...

. Designed by Emile Weil and built in 1927, it is an example of Old Spanish architecture and seats over 1400. The theatre was built by Jefferson Amusement Company, which was owned by Saenger Amusements. The theatre is featured on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

and recognized as a

Recorded Texas Historic Landmark Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL) is a designation awarded by the Texas Historical Commission for historically and architecturally significant properties in the U.S. state of Texas. RTHL is a legal designation and the highest honor the st ...

. The theatre recently underwent a comprehensive multimillion-dollar renovation. It is also one of the few theatres in the country containing its original Morton organ, produced by the

Robert Morton Organ Company The Robert Morton Organ Company was an American producer of theatre organ, theater pipe organs and church organs, located in Van Nuys, California. Robert Morton was the number two volume producer of theatre organs, building approximately half as ...

History

Designed by the renowned architect Emile Weil, the Jefferson Theatre opened November 14, 1927 at a cost of nearly $1 million. Originally designed for Jefferson Amusement Company the theatre boasts a 3-manual, 8-rank Robert Morton organ. A five-day premiere of recently released "It's A Wonderful Life" (1946) was held at the Jefferson Theatre from March 4-8, 1947, with star

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...

and director

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-American film director, producer, and screenwriter who was the creative force behind Frank Capra filmography#Films that won Academy Award ...

in attendance on March 4, 1947. The theatre closed in 1972 due to a loss of interest in downtown. By 1997 the theatre was operational again, but was closed in September 2000 for a complete restoration and renovation. The 6.5 million dollar restoration was completed in 2003. , the City of Beaumont operates the theatre while the Jefferson Theatre Preservation Society oversees the preservation, promotion and use of the theatre.Jefferson Theatre Restoration
eaumont

Performances

Since the renovation, a number of high-profile artists have performed at the theatre, including

Joan Rivers Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedienne, actress, producer, writer and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona that w ...

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Lou Rawls Louis Allen Rawls (December 1, 1933 – January 6, 2006) was an American baritone singer. He released 61 albums, sold more than 40 million records, and had numerous charting singles, most notably the song " You'll Never Find Another Love like Min ...

George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercultur ...

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, and

Lyle Lovett Lyle Pearce Lovett (born November 1, 1957) Lyle Lovett Pageat Allmusic – Lovett's Genre and Styles. Retrieved February 2, 2007 is an American country singer and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded 14 albums and released 25 singles to dat ...

. The theatre also hosts various local acts and events and is home to an annual film festival.

Hurricane Rita

In September 2005, the

Vince Vaughn Vincent Anthony Vaughn (born March 28, 1970) is an American actor. He is known for starring as a leading man in numerous comedy films during the late 1990s and 2000s. He was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Awards, Screen Actors Guild Award ...

Wild West Comedy Show performance was canceled due to

Hurricane Rita Hurricane Rita was the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Gulf of Mexico, tying with Hurricane Milton in 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, 2024, as well as being the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded. Part of the ...

(which damaged the theatre and prompted a temporary closure for maintenance and repairs). The theatre reopened for business in December 2005.

Photo gallery

Image:Jefferson Theatre Auditorium Beaumont, from Balcony.jpg, The auditorium. Image:Jefferson Theatre Beaumont, Panorama.jpg, Seating Image:Jeffarch2.jpg, Proscenium arch. Image:Jeffwallshot_2.jpg, The detail from the stage. Image:Jeffersontheaterinteriorangle.jpg, Looking up. Image:Jefftheatreupperwall.jpg, Mezzanine decoration detail. Image:chandalierjefferson.JPG, The Grand Chandelier Image:Jeffaudstat.jpg, Auditorium Statuary Image:Jefflobbyceiling.jpg, The lobby ceiling. Image:Jefflobstairs.jpg, Grand Staircase Image:Jefflobbystat.jpg, Lobby Statuary Image:Morton Organ, Jefferson Theatre, Beaumont, Texas.jpg, Robert Morton Organ Image:Jeffthtrmarquee.jpg, Jefferson

References

External links

{{Authority control Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks Buildings and structures in Beaumont, Texas Emile Weil buildings Theatres completed in 1927 Tourist attractions in Beaumont, Texas National Register of Historic Places in Jefferson County, Texas Music venues in Beaumont, Texas 1927 establishments in Texas Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Texas