Cactus Theater
Encyclopedia
The Cactus Theater is a theater located in Lubbock, Texas
, US
. It hosts live music productions, musicals
, and theatrical plays.
style theater was designed by architect Robert Maxey. The theater was built as a "second-run" movie theater and boasted a seating capacity
of 720. It also had "washed air" cooling and a marquee
with over 750 feet of neon
lighting.
The Cactus remained opened for twenty years. However, by 1957, there were seventeen movie theaters in the city. The competition from the other traditional theaters and the popularity of six new drive-in theater
s forced the older Cactus out of business. The Cactus closed on May 6, 1958.
, slope, and stage. The seating was replaced with four hundred modern seats. The old projection
booth was redesigned with spotlight
s and a state-of-the-art sound and light package. The theater's West Texas heritage was recognized with mural
s on both walls, painted by artist John Russell Thomasson, depicting Caprock Canyon
.
The theater now features shows such as Nostalgia Nights, The Cactus Family Christmas Celebration, Gospel Night, Cactus Cuties local artist showcase, new artist showcase, and The JD’s, a doo wop group founded by the late Don Allison
, a musician and producer at the Cactus. Artists like Joe Ely
, B. J. Thomas
, Gary Morris
, Jerry Jeff Walker
, and The Maines Brothers Band
have played at the venue.
The theater features live theatrical plays and music including Fiddler on the Roof
, The Odd Couple
, Jesus Christ Superstar
, Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story
, The Rainmaker
, Hello Dolly!
, Oklahoma!
, and more. The Cactus Theater has also played host to several debut musical plays from local writers, such as Heavenly Country and Holy Rock ‘n Rollers.
The Cactus Theater has programs such as the Cactus Cuties and the Cactus Kids aimed toward developing young talent and upcoming artists.
The Cactus Cuties have performed on Rachel Ray Show, Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
, National Day of Prayer
at Cannon House Office Building
in the District of Columbia, and Oprah Winfrey
's Search for the Most Talented Kids. Their singing is also available on a compact disc
and a DVD
both titled Cactus Cuties: Live at the Cactus 2009. For personal reasons Andi Kitten decided it was time to leave the group around September of 2010. Makenzie Patton joined the remaining three girls shortly thereafter.
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
, US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It hosts live music productions, musicals
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, and theatrical plays.
History
In 1938, Lubbock businessmen Joe H. Bryant, M. A. Sanders, and Glenn Woody, built Lubbock’s first suburban neighborhood movie theater. The Art DecoArt Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style theater was designed by architect Robert Maxey. The theater was built as a "second-run" movie theater and boasted a seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 720. It also had "washed air" cooling and a marquee
Marquee (sign)
A marquee is most commonly a structure placed over the entrance to a hotel or theatre. It has signage stating either the name of the establishment or, in the case of theatres, the play or movie and the artist appearing at that venue...
with over 750 feet of neon
Neon
Neon is the chemical element that has the symbol Ne and an atomic number of 10. Although a very common element in the universe, it is rare on Earth. A colorless, inert noble gas under standard conditions, neon gives a distinct reddish-orange glow when used in either low-voltage neon glow lamps or...
lighting.
The Cactus remained opened for twenty years. However, by 1957, there were seventeen movie theaters in the city. The competition from the other traditional theaters and the popularity of six new drive-in theater
Drive-in theater
A drive-in theater is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor screen, a projection booth, a concession stand and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars.The screen can be as simple as a...
s forced the older Cactus out of business. The Cactus closed on May 6, 1958.
Remodeled theater
As part of the development of Lubbock's Depot District in 1993, Cactus Theater, Inc., along with a group of investors, bought the Cactus Theater and refurbished it into a live performance/movie theater. The refurbished theater retains its original balconyBalcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
, slope, and stage. The seating was replaced with four hundred modern seats. The old projection
Movie projector
A movie projector is an opto-mechanical device for displaying moving pictures by projecting them on a projection screen. Most of the optical and mechanical elements, except for the illumination and sound devices, are present in movie cameras.-Physiology:...
booth was redesigned with spotlight
Followspot
A followspot, sometimes known as a spot light, is a powerful stage lighting instrument which projects a bright beam of light onto a performance space. Followspots are controlled by a spotlight operator who follows actors around the stage...
s and a state-of-the-art sound and light package. The theater's West Texas heritage was recognized with mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s on both walls, painted by artist John Russell Thomasson, depicting Caprock Canyon
Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway
Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway is a Texas state park on the Caprock Escarpment in Briscoe County, Texas, United States, approximately southeast of Amarillo...
.
The theater now features shows such as Nostalgia Nights, The Cactus Family Christmas Celebration, Gospel Night, Cactus Cuties local artist showcase, new artist showcase, and The JD’s, a doo wop group founded by the late Don Allison
Don Allison
Don McKinzie Allison, known as Donnie Allison was a musician and vocalist from Lubbock, Texas. He sang on Music Television and performed at the Cactus Theater in Lubbock in such productions as Jesus Christ Superstar and Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story, the saga of the Lubbock rock and roll legend...
, a musician and producer at the Cactus. Artists like Joe Ely
Joe Ely
Joe Ely is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist whose music touches on honky-tonk, Texas Country, Tex-Mex and rock and roll....
, B. J. Thomas
B. J. Thomas
Billy Joe "B. J." Thomas is an American popular singer known for his chart-topping hits in the 1960s and 1970s—appearing on the pop, adult contemporary, country and Hot 100 charts.-Career:...
, Gary Morris
Gary Morris
Gary Gwyn Morris is an American country music artist who charted a string of countrypolitan-styled hit songs throughout the 1980s....
, Jerry Jeff Walker
Jerry Jeff Walker
Jerry Jeff Walker is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is probably most famous for writing the song "Mr. Bojangles.-Biography:...
, and The Maines Brothers Band
The Maines Brothers Band
The Maines Brothers Band is a Texas-based country music band. The Maines Brothers for which the band was named are Lloyd Maines , Donnie Maines , Kenny Maines , and Steve Maines...
have played at the venue.
The theater features live theatrical plays and music including Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
, The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple is a 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, followed by a successful film and television series, as well as other derivative works and spin offs, many featuring one or more of the same actors. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one neat and uptight, the other more easygoing and...
, Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
, Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story
Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story
Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story is a jukebox musical in two acts with a book written by Alan Janes, and music and lyrics by a variety of songwriters. Based on the life and career of early rock and roller Buddy Holly, the musical hews closer to Holly's actual life story than the 1978 film version...
, The Rainmaker
The Rainmaker (play)
The Rainmaker is a play written by N. Richard Nash in the early 1950s. The play opened on October 28, 1954 at the Cort Theatre in New York and ran for 125 performances. It was directed by Joseph Anthony and produced by Ethel Linder Reiner....
, Hello Dolly!
Hello, Dolly! (musical)
Hello, Dolly! is a musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder's 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers, which Wilder revised and retitled The Matchmaker in 1955....
, Oklahoma!
Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance...
, and more. The Cactus Theater has also played host to several debut musical plays from local writers, such as Heavenly Country and Holy Rock ‘n Rollers.
Cactus Cuties
The Cactus Cuties are among one of the many popular acts at the Cactus Theater. These singing girls are coached and managed by Cameron Caldwell at Terri Caldwell Music. The current Cactus Cuties are Baylee Barrett, Blaire Elbert, Makenzie Patton and Madeline Powell. In the summer of 2007 the Cuties were invited to guest star on Disney Channel's "Cory in The House" which aired around the same time their first YouTube video went viral in early 2008. The video featured five Cactus Cuties (two of whom no longer sing with the group) singing their own rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner" and captured the hearts of over three million people in one month. Their unique and amazing harmonies as well as their character and charm have made the girls very popular on the internet.The Cactus Theater has programs such as the Cactus Cuties and the Cactus Kids aimed toward developing young talent and upcoming artists.
The Cactus Cuties have performed on Rachel Ray Show, Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
The MDA Labor Day Telethon is an annual telethon in the United States to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association . The first MDA telethon was during the Thanksgiving Day weekend of 1952 and titled Party for MDA. It has been held annually since 1966...
, National Day of Prayer
National Day of Prayer
The National Day of Prayer is an annual day of observance held on the first Thursday of May, designated by the United States Congress, when people are asked "to turn to God in prayer and meditation". Each year, the president signs a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day...
at Cannon House Office Building
Cannon House Office Building
The Cannon House Office Building, completed in 1908, is the oldest congressional office building as well as a significant example of the Beaux-Arts style of architecture...
in the District of Columbia, and Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
's Search for the Most Talented Kids. Their singing is also available on a compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
and a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
both titled Cactus Cuties: Live at the Cactus 2009. For personal reasons Andi Kitten decided it was time to leave the group around September of 2010. Makenzie Patton joined the remaining three girls shortly thereafter.