The Historic Warwick Theatre
Recognized by the National registry of Historic Sites, the Historic Warwick Theatre is one of the many Boller Brothers theatres built in Kansas City. With it's sister theatre, the Uptown, the Warwick Theatre opened in 1912 in Colonial Revival style. Originally, it seated 1,022 on two floors. One of the noted aspects in its decoration was the rich red velvet draperies that adorned the stage and the matching seating material. The Warwick closed in 1953.
Since then, the original decor has been lost, the raked seats has been leveled and this former icon to the arts in KC took on a restructured life as a retail furniture store.
Now, we are returning this iconic venue to its creative purpose, and restoring many of its beautiful finishes making this distinctive building a vital part of the KC artistic landscape for years to come. ​
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After 40 years of darkness the remaining marquee shines brightly once again. Restoration of the "blade" of the marquee is slated for phase 2 of the fire recovery plan. We are excited to share visuals of our progress and plans.
“This resource is located in Jackson County, Missouri. Areas of significance include: Architecture; Commerce. Architectural classifications include: Spanish Colonial Revival; International; Eclectic; Classical Revival; Spanish Revival; Romanesque Revival; Beaux-Arts; Art Moderne; Art Deco; U-Plan. The National Historic Places Register Reference Number is 83001020.
Original Boller Brothers' architectural sketch of the Warwick Theatre.
Artist rendering of a restored Historic Warwick Theatre
We have completed so much but we have much left to accomplish. What is next? We are excited to share not only our vision for the Warwick, but also our progress.
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The fire severely impacted the timeline and how and where we spend our time and funds. We are very fortunate that the building survived. Replacing what destroyed and remediating smoke damage, requires herculean effort.
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Power is restored to the marquee on Main Street. After decades of darkness, it is once again a beacon of light, as it was in 1912.
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Our plan is to restore the "blade" portion of the marquee and further shine light into the heart of Kansas City.
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This artist rendering (to the right), represent A possibility of how the restored Warwick might appear.
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