Folly Theater

Folly Theater is a historic performing-arts venue at 300 West 12th Street in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The building opened in 1900 as the Standard Theatre, a 2,400-seat hall commissioned by St. Louis businessman Colonel Edward Butler for his son and intended to present entertainment on the Empire vaudeville circuit. Designed by Kansas City architect Louis S. Curtiss, the theater was closely associated with the adjoining Edward Hotel, later called the Hotel Missouri. That hotel was demolished in 1965, but the theater survived and remains one of Kansas City's most important historic cultural buildings. The venue's early programming centered on burlesque and vaudeville. After a fire at the nearby Coates Opera House in 1901, opera and comic opera performances temporarily moved to the Standard, bringing performers such as Sarah Bernhardt, Richard Mansfield, and Maude Adams to the building. In 1902, the venue became the Century Theater and continued presenting touring entertainment, including acts associated with the Empire burlesque circuit. Al Jolson, Fannie Brice, and Eddie Foy appeared there, while the building also hosted prizefighting and wrestling. Jack Johnson and Jack Dempsey were among the sports figures associated with the theater; Johnson reportedly stayed in the manager's apartment because local hotels refused him accommodation. The Shubert brothers acquired the property in 1923 and renamed it Shubert's Missouri after a substantial renovation led by Shubert architect Herbert J. Krapp. Under Shubert management, the theater booked dramatic productions, including Shakespeare and Eugene O'Neill works. The Marx Brothers' engagement of I'll Say She Is in 1923–24 helped persuade the Shuberts to continue operating the venue. Changing entertainment economics caused business to decline after 1928, however, and the theater closed in 1932 after a period of intermittent touring-show use. Following a tax sale, the building reopened in 1941 under the name The Folly. For several decades it presented burlesque, including appearances by Gypsy Rose Lee, Tempest Storm, and Chesty Gabor. It also began showing adult films in 1969. The building closed in January 1974, and its owners announced that it would be demolished for a parking lot if a buyer could not be found by the end of that year. Local preservationists responded by forming the Performing Arts Foundation of Kansas City, a nonprofit organization created to acquire and restore the property. The theater was offered for $950,000. The foundation raised $350,000 in contributions and negotiated for the sellers to donate the remaining $600,000 of the purchase price. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, and a preservation fundraiser called Strip the Folly featured Sally Rand, who had previously performed there. A seven-year restoration campaign concluded in 1981, including an annex built on the site of the former hotel. Today, the Performing Arts Foundation of Kansas City operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit under the Folly Theater name. Its stated mission is to preserve Kansas City's oldest historic theater as a premier performance venue by presenting, producing, and hosting varied quality events for the community. Programming includes jazz, children's performances, blues, rock, country, classical music, chamber music, choral performance, and burlesque. The theater produces its own Jazz Series, Kids Series, and Cyprus Avenue Live! program, while hosting organizations such as the Harriman-Jewell Series, Friends of Chamber Music, and Heartland Men's Chorus. KC Burlesque's Kansas City Burlesque Festival has also used the venue for a modern revival of burlesque performance. The building combines a Neo-Palladian exterior of Carthage limestone and red pressed brick with a richly decorated red-and-gold interior. Its stage includes a fly loft, fly balconies, scenery workshop, and ten dressing rooms. Although the interior has been substantially renovated, the exterior remains largely intact. Improvements in 2000 added a lobby, restrooms, and a second-floor Shareholders' Room. In 2005, the auditorium's original color scheme was restored. The theater currently seats approximately 1,078 people and continues to function as both a working arts venue and a preservation landmark.

The building now known as Folly Theater opened on September 23, 1900, as the Standard Theatre. Colonel Edward Butler of St. Louis financed the project at a reported cost of $250,000, intending it to serve the Empire vaudeville circuit and to provide a venue for his son to present shows. Kansas City architect Louis S. Curtiss designed the building, which stood beside the Edward Hotel, later known as the Hotel Missouri. The theater originally contained approximately 2,400 seats. Its first identity was closely tied to burlesque and vaudeville. In 1901, a fire at the nearby Coates Opera House displaced opera and comic opera productions, leading the Standard to host performances by figures including Sarah Bernhardt, Richard Mansfield, and Maude Adams. The venue was renamed the Century Theater in 1902. During this period it presented performers from the Empire burlesque circuit, among them Al Jolson, Fannie Brice, and Eddie Foy. It was also used for boxing and wrestling events, with Jack Johnson and Jack Dempsey among the notable sports personalities associated with the site. The Shubert brothers bought the Century in 1923 and changed its name to Shubert's Missouri. Their renovation, designed by Shubert architect Herbert J. Krapp, altered important interior elements, including the lobby, box-office arrangement, balcony configuration, upper-level plasterwork, and manager's apartment. The Shuberts attempted to position the property as a dramatic theater, booking Shakespeare and Eugene O'Neill plays. The Marx Brothers' three-week run of I'll Say She Is during 1923–24 was sufficiently successful to encourage continued operation, but the theater's business weakened after 1928. It eventually closed in 1932 and was used only intermittently for touring shows before passing through a tax sale. The venue reopened in 1941 as The Folly. Its next major era centered on striptease and burlesque, with performers such as Gypsy Rose Lee and Tempest Storm appearing there. Adult films were added to the program in 1969. On December 29 of that year, an unknown person placed a stick of dynamite in a drainpipe; the incident is part of the building's documented history, although the available reference material does not identify a perpetrator or provide a broader explanation. The Folly closed in January 1974. Its then owners, Annbar Associates and Elk Realty of New York, announced that demolition could follow if a purchaser was not found by year's end. Preservationists Joan Dillon, William N. Deramus III, and others organized the Performing Arts Foundation of Kansas City to acquire and restore the venue. The purchase campaign sought $950,000, raised $350,000 through contributions, and obtained a donation of the remaining $600,000 from the owners through negotiation. The theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. A fundraising event titled Strip the Folly featured Sally Rand, a former performer at the venue. Restoration took seven years and was completed in 1981. The project included an annex on the former Edward Hotel site, allowing the theater to retain its historic building while gaining supporting facilities. In 2000, the centennial year, the venue added a new lobby, restrooms, and a second-floor Shareholders' Room. In 2005, restoration work returned the auditorium's original color scheme. Later plans received approval from the Kansas City Landmarks Commission for a marquee modeled closely on the original Folly sign. The Performing Arts Foundation of Kansas City, doing business as The Folly Theater, now operates the building as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Its mission combines historic preservation with presentation, production, and hosting of community performances. The programming portfolio includes the Folly Jazz Series, Kids Series, and Cyprus Avenue Live!, alongside hosted classical, chamber, choral, burlesque, and other events. The building remains an active 1,078-seat venue rather than a museum-only property. Its Neo-Palladian facade, Carthage limestone, red pressed brick, decorated proscenium, balcony boxes, fly loft, dressing rooms, and largely preserved exterior contribute to its architectural and cultural significance.

• 2005

  Auditorium color scheme restored

  [1]Folly Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Restoration work returns the auditorium's original color scheme during the twenty-fifth anniversary period of its reopening.

• 2000

  Centennial improvements

  [1]Folly Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The theater adds a lobby, restrooms, and second-floor Shareholders' Room.

• 1981

  Seven-year restoration concludes

  [1]Folly Theateren.wikipedia.org

  A major restoration is completed, with an annex added on the former hotel site.

• 1974

  Historic preservation campaign begins

  [1]Folly Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The Performing Arts Foundation of Kansas City forms to purchase and save the threatened theater.

• 1941

  Reopens as The Folly

  [1]Folly Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Following a tax sale, the building reopens under the name The Folly.

• 1932

  Theater closes after declining business

  [1]Folly Theateren.wikipedia.org

  After declining business following 1928, the venue closes and later becomes an intermittent touring-show location.

• 1923

  Shubert acquisition and renovation

  [1]Folly Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The Shubert brothers acquire the property, rename it Shubert's Missouri, and renovate it for dramatic programming.

• 1902

  Theater becomes the Century

  [1]Folly Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The venue changes its name to the Century Theater.

• 1901

  Opera performances move to the Standard

  [1]Folly Theateren.wikipedia.org

  A fire at Coates Opera House leads opera and comic opera productions to use the Standard Theatre.

• 1900

  Standard Theatre opens

  [1]Folly Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The original 2,400-seat theater opens on September 23 in downtown Kansas City with burlesque and vaudeville.

A nonprofit historic theater that combines preservation of a landmark Kansas City venue with a broad, community-oriented program of music, theater, family entertainment, choral performance, and burlesque.

• Concert series

  Folly Jazz Series

  A recurring program produced by the theater and centered on jazz performances. It is one of the Folly's principal internally produced music offerings and uses the historic auditorium as a dedicated concert setting.

• Family programming

  Folly Kids Series

  A family-oriented performance series intended to bring children and caregivers to the historic venue. The available reference identifies it as a regular Folly production but does not specify individual shows or a launch date.

• Popular music concert series

  Cyprus Avenue Live!

  A Folly-produced live music offering spanning styles such as blues, rock, and country. The series broadens the theater's programming beyond classical and jazz presentation.

• Performing-arts venue · 1981

  Historic theater venue

  The principal offering is the restored theater itself: a 1,078-seat performance facility with a proscenium stage, balcony, fly loft, backstage workshop, and ten dressing rooms. It presents the Folly's own programs and hosts external arts organizations and community events.

• 1969

  Dynamite placed in theater drainpipe

  After the building began showing adult films, an unknown person placed a stick of dynamite in a drainpipe on December 29, 1969. The available historical account does not identify the person responsible or establish a wider motive.

  Source

Read more

• 1974Folly preservation and acquisition campaign

  Kansas City, Missouri · United States

  The Performing Arts Foundation of Kansas City organized a fundraising and negotiation campaign after the owners threatened demolition if a buyer could not be found. The foundation raised $350,000 and secured the remaining $600,000 of the $950,000 asking price as a seller donation.

  Outcome. The campaign enabled acquisition and preservation of the theater, preventing conversion of the site into a parking lot.

  Source
• 1974Strip the Folly

  Kansas City, Missouri

  A preservation fundraiser used the theater's burlesque history as its theme and featured Sally Rand, who had previously performed at the Folly.

  Outcome. The event supported the broader effort to acquire and restore the threatened building.

  Source

• 1974

  Conversion from threatened commercial property to nonprofit cultural venueStrategy

  Background

  The owners had indicated that the closed theater could be demolished for a parking lot unless a buyer emerged.

  Action taken

  The Performing Arts Foundation of Kansas City pursued nonprofit acquisition, fundraising, historic designation, and restoration.

  Aftermath

  The building was preserved, restored by 1981, and placed under nonprofit operation as an active performing-arts venue.

  Purchase price. $950,000 asking price → $350,000 raised in contributions plus a negotiated $600,000 seller donation (1974)

  Source

• 1923

  Repositioning under Shubert managementStrategy

  Background

  The Shubert brothers acquired the Century during a period when the venue was part of Kansas City's touring entertainment infrastructure.

  Action taken

  They renamed it Shubert's Missouri, renovated the building, and emphasized dramatic productions including Shakespeare and Eugene O'Neill plays.

  Aftermath

  The Marx Brothers' engagement helped sustain the theater in the short term, but business declined after 1928 and the venue eventually closed in 1932.

  Source

1. 1Folly Theateren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Folly Theater official websitefollytheater.org