In 1927 The economy was booming and vacationers were flocking to Lakeside in droves. In Hollywood the debate was raging
over the future of the newly invented talking picture. Back in Lakeside "the powers that be" decided to invest in the much
maligned new art form. Both Hoover Auditorium and Orchestra Hall were designed with talkies in mind. Through the years Motion
pictures have matured into the countrys main form of entertainment while Lakeside has been right there.
There seems
to be no written documentation on the choice of Spanish Revival as the architecture for Orchestra Hall. It would seem reasonable
,however, to believe that the profusion of Craftsman bungalows with their complimentary Mission style embellishments may be
a hint about the changing tastes of the residents of Lakeside at the time. What remains is Victorian was definitely out.
It
is interesting to note that very soon after the completion of the winterized Orchestra Hall a devastating fire destroyed several
blocks of Lakeside. One of the greatest losses was the local Methodist Church. Orchestra Hall stood in for this facility until
the new church was built in 1950.
The Seating Project , started in 2001, was finished in 2004. All of the seats in the main seating area have been cleaned,
powder coated and covered with cushons. Also in 2004 new lamphouses for the projectors increased the light on the screen by
about 300%. In 2005 we are looking forward to installing new theatre sound as well as video projection facilities and
facilities for producing video and audio programming and recording.
In the Year 2005 Orchestra Hall will continue to
be the host Lakesides Chaplain Hour as well as a complete schedule of Hollywoods best family oriented movies.
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