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Coleman Theater
103 North Main Street, Miami
Oklahoma
Due to
unforeseen circumstances, Seminar 2004
will not be presented
at the Coleman. Although no longer the place for the 2004 event,
we encourage all to see this wonderful piece of history.
Situated in the heart of the longest stretch of main street located
anywhere on historic Route 66, the Coleman is a landmark that is hard to
miss. Due to it's place on the Mother Road, it is sometimes
referred to as the centerpiece of Highway 66.
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The Coleman
Theatre Beautiful (as it was originally named) is located at 103 N. Main
in beautiful, historic downtown Miami. The Coleman Theatre was built by
George L. Coleman Sr. in 1929 at a cost of $600,000. This opulent
structure was designed by the Broller Brothers of Kansas City, Missouri.
The exterior architecture is Spanish Mission Revival. Terra cotta
gargoyles and other hand-carved figures adorn the building facade. The
elegant Louis XV interior includes gold leaf trim, silk damask panels,
stained glass panels, carved mahogany staircase and decorative plaster
moldings and railings.
The original
carpet carried into its weave the Coleman family crest. A sample
of this is on display as one of the phases of restoration is to
commission carpet to match. The art-deco carpet that is serving
the theatre currently is to be removed. At this stage of the
restoration, the art-deco marquee that has served it for many years was
taken down and replaced with reproduced portals as the theatre continues
its road to full restoration. The metal Coleman sign on the south
side of the building is original.
Built as a
vaudeville theatre and movie palace, the Coleman opened to a full house
of 1,600 seats at $1 a seat, on April 18, 1929. Such notable
celebreties as Will Rogers, Tom Mix, Jim Thorpe and fan dancer
Sally Rand have graced this wonderful stages as well as on it's screen.
The original pipe organ "The Mighty
Wurlitzer", has returned home to the Coleman. The J.T. Peterson
Organ Company of Fort Worth, Texas restored, refurbished, enhanced and
completed the reinstallation of the organ in the theatre in 1996. The
Miami community donated all of the $85,000 used to repurchase the organ.
Because of this met goal, the Coleman is one of the select few theatre's
in the United States that can boast the return of its original pipe
organ installed in its original setting.
In 1983 the
Coleman Theatre was placed on the National Register of Historical
Places. The Oklahoma State Historical Society placed a Route 66
Mini-Museum on the Coleman mezzanine in 1996.
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Additional information provided by:
Miami Chamber of Commerce
Miami Convention and Visitors
Bureau |
