1926-1928
The original design for the Uptown was carried out by Kansas City architect, Robert Gornall. Construction first began on the portion of the Uptown that would house offices and shops along Broadway. This office and retail portion of the Uptown was completed in November of 1926; however work on the theater was halted until the Universal Film Company acquired the unfinished building in 1927.
Completed in 1928, the Uptown Theater was Kansas City’s premier entertainment spot showcasing first-run movies. “The Irresistible Lover” starring Norman Carey and Lois Moran opened to a sold out crowd at the Uptown on January 7th 1928, as the marquee brightened Broadway for the first time.
1928-1929
Australian born John Eberson created Kansas City’s only “atmospheric” theater. The theater was designed to replicate a romantic, outdoor Mediterranean courtyard. The most prominent feature was the nighttime-sky ceiling – complete with twinkling stars, clouds and mechanical flying birds.
Many of the biggest stars of motion pictures, stage and music and played the Uptown Theater.
In 1928, an unknown comedian in his early twenties named Bob Hope performed his comedy act for a week long run of shows.
1930-1939
In the thirties, movies starring Will Rogers, Claudette Colbert and Shirley Temple were featured at the Uptown. Movie stars like Joe E. Brown, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Tom Mix along with his horse Tony, made personal appearances on the Uptown stage.
At that time many Kansas Citians still traveled by streetcars and buses but as purchasing vehicles became more common, the Uptown began offering free parking across Broadway Boulevard. A white-gloved, uniformed attendant with a whistle and flashlight would help people to and from their cars.
In 1939 the Uptown copyrighted “fragratone” in which fragrances would be funneled through the ventilation system, adding olfactory pleasure to the entertainment experience.
1940-1969
In the forties, the Uptown rode the success of Hollywood and the movie industry to unrestrained heights of box office success. Matinees with KMBC’s Big Brother Bob Club packed the theater on Saturday mornings.
In the fifties and sixties, first-run movies along with live vaudeville and stage productions provided theatergoers with first-rate entertainment.
The theater continued to feature stage shows and film until well after WWII, and remained one of Kansas City’s most profitable theaters as late as the 1960’s.
1970-1989
In the early seventies the theater housed the Lyric Opera Company for two years. Beginning in 1973, the theater became home to the Palace Dinner Playhouse. By the late 1970s the theater began to function primarily as a concert venue. On June 27th, 1979 the Uptown Theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Throughout the 1980s the Uptown Theater continued it’s prominence in the live music scene in Kansas City. Unfortunately, after years of mismanagement the interior of the theater had fallen into disrepair, and all of the original details were whitewashed. In 1989 the Uptown Theater closed and for the first time since the 1920s, Broadway was no longer lit up by the theater’s prominent marquee.
1994-1995
Following the closure of the Uptown Theater in 1989 the property was transferred to the Land Trust of Jackson County, a governmental corporation established by state law to sell properties in order to satisfy unpaid taxes. Larry Sells, the president of the Land Trust during that time spent a few years trying to sell the vacant theater to developers with no luck.
In 1994, Larry Sells resigned from the Land Trust and purchased the Uptown on his own with plans to restore the theater as well as the entire commercial corridor of Broadway between 38th Street and Armour Boulevard.
1996-2022
Following the acquisition of the Uptown, a $15 million renovation of the theater was completed. The original splendor was restored in the details and colors of Eberson’s original design. In addition, 33,000 square feet of new lobby, bar, office and banquet space was added. Because of the redevelopment, the Uptown remains one of the few remaining atmospheric theatres still in operation. Permanent seating remains in the balcony and rear half of the main floor. The front half of the floor nearest to the stage is now open for table arrangements and general admission standing for concerts.
On July 2, 2005, native Kansas City band the Get Up Kids played their “farewell” show at The Uptown. The band re-united three years later.
The Uptown is now ranked number 82 on the list of the top 100 theaters in the world by the concert industry magazine Pollstar.
2022-Present
In April 2022, leading independent promoter Mammoth purchased and took ownership of the historic theater. As with many of the company’s ventures, mammoth’s goal is to build on the venue’s amazing legacy of artists while continuing to attract and grow a diversity of performers to the theater. the company also remains committed to preserving the building’s history and enhancing the performer and fan experience.
