The Orpheum Theatre, a 2,308-seat venue listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, on the southwest corner of the intersection of South Main and Beale streets.

Since it first opened in 1928, the Orpheum has dazzled patrons with its artisan millwork, gilding, original fixtures, a Mighty Wurlitzer organ, and architectural beauty.

[3] Under the leadership of the MDF, in the last 35 years the Orpheum has undergone more than $15 million in renovation and improvements that have made it a world-class performing arts facility while preserving the historical and architectural integrity of the vaudeville palace.

In 1890, the Grand Opera House opened on the corner of Main and Beale streets, and was billed as the most classy theater outside New York City.

The new Orpheum was twice as large as her predecessor and featured glittering gold and silver leaf, marble, lush carpets, and antique crystal chandeliers and a Wurlitzer organ.

[9] The pipes are located in two purpose-built, hidden chambers behind the large curtained arches flanking the proscenium, at approximately the height of the forward-most chandeliers.

The organ is also equipped with a number of sound effects to accompany silent movies: bird whistles, fire alarms, horse hoofs, etc.

Beyond the cleaning, decorative, and lighting changes of this once-beautiful building, significant improvements included heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system renovations; restroom enhancements; and dressing room reconfigurations and redecorations.

[12] Restoration crews also cleaned the exterior of the building, repairing and repainting the vertical Orpheum sign and the famous theater marquee.

To meet audiences' growing needs, the theatre constructed a parlor with restrooms, a large concessions area, and a box office on the south side of the grand lobby.

Later, it created a "green room" — now the Broadway Club — at the northeast corner of the lobby, in space previously occupied by a men's clothing store called Bert's.

[13][14] In 1996, the Orpheum Theatre tackled its biggest renovation ever, an $8-million project to expand the stage and backstage areas as new touring productions needed more space than the facility offered.

The renovation also created 13 new dressing rooms, a special warm-up area for the ballet company and added two additional loading bays, doubling the previous capacity.

[6][15] Thanks to these improvements, the Orpheum has been able to host presented numerous large-scale Broadway productions, including Disney's Lion King, Wicked, CATS, and Les Miserables, while continuing to offer performances from great entertainers like Bob Dylan, Jerry Seinfeld, Mary J. Blige, Sarah McLachlan, John Mellencamp, Harry Connick Jr., Tyler Perry, Tony Bennett, and others.

After long-time president Pat Halloran announced his retirement in 2014, the Memphis Development Foundation's board of directors voted to name it in his honor.

[24] Countless times over the past 50 years, performers have noticed a little girl in what looks like a school uniform sitting in a side box on the mezzanine.

[23][25] Memphis historian Vincent Astor, along with other researchers and patrons, have claimed to be aware of as many as six other spirits inhabiting the Orpheum, including a male, known to some as David, who is waiting to escort Mary to the other side.

[26] Stories abound about flickering lights in the theatre, tools emptied into commodes, doors swinging open and shutting loudly – events that even spooked Yul Brynner while rehearsing for The King & I in 1982.