Rialto Theater (Casper, Wyoming)
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Rialto Theater | |
%2C_west_facade.jpg) West facade, 2012 | |
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| Location | 102 E. Second St., Casper, Wyoming |
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| Coordinates | 42°50′55″N 106°19′9″W / 42.84861°N 106.31917°WCoordinates: 42°50′55″N 106°19′9″W / 42.84861°N 106.31917°W |
| Built | 1921 |
| Architect | Dubois & Goodrich |
| Architectural style | Chicago, Commercial Style |
| NRHP Reference # | 93000037[1] |
| Added to NRHP | February 11, 1993 |
The Rialto Theater in Casper, Wyoming was built as the New Lyric Theater[2] in 1921. It was constructed with 800 seats by Henry Brennan who had a successful Vaudeville house, on which he based the new cinema.[3] He almost immediately sold the building in 1922 to new owners who invested $50,000 in a remodeling project designed by Casper architects William Dubois and Leon Goodrich. The reopening in 1922 featured the William C. deMille movie Nice People, a silent film that was accompanied by the Chicago Netto Ladies Orchestra. In 1928 the Rialto began to show talkies.[2]
The Riato measures 50 feet (15 m) by 100 feet (30 m) on a prominent corner site. The brick facade is plain in form but the brickwork is extensively detailed. A tall neon sign marks the corner, replacing the original metal sign and a marquee was added, covering the original leaded glass transoms over the storefronts. A tall parapet adds to the apparent mass of the theater. Storefronts on both frontages house retail shops. On the interior a balcony is reached by two curving stairs on either side of the lobby, replacing a single grand stair from the first design.[2]
The Rialto continues to operate as a cinema. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.[1]
References
- 1 2 Staff (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
- 1 2 3 Starr, Eileen; Cassity, Michael (December 1992). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Rialto Theater" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ↑ "Rialto Thater". Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
External links
- Photographs of the Rialto Theater at the National Park Service's NRHP database
- Rialto Theater at the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office
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