Orpheum Theatre is a Treasure ~ January 25, 2007

Yesterday my 11-year-old son Jon went on a field trip to see Slim Goodbody’s “Bodyology.” It’s a traveling stage show that uses music, movement, fanciful props, and a large rear screen projection unit to help kids understand how their bodies work while inspiring them to be the best they can be. While it’s correlated to state health education standards for grades K-4, children up to age 12 (and their parents) say they enjoy the show. (Maybe you remember seeing Slim Goodbody on TV during the 1970’s. It’s still the same guy, too - only he doesn’t have the big Afro hairdo anymore!) Another neat thing was, the show’s location was in the Orpheum Theatre which is a wonderful field trip destination in itself. Here is how Jon describes his experience:

“When we got to the theater, it was packed with school kids. There were only a few other homeschoolers. We had to wait and when we finally got in, we were able to sit in the balcony. We watched the play. There was this guy dressed up in a body suit. He said his name was Slim Goodbody. He talked about the brain, the heart, the lungs, the liver, the nerves, the diaphragm, the stomach and digestive system. He said that your body is made up of millions of different cells. He talked about how many bones we have. He showed a picture of a real heart. He showed what can happen to your lungs if you smoke. He showed how the smaller the person, the faster the heartbeat and the larger the person, the slower the heartbeat. He sung songs about the body. We practiced singing “Lubba Dubba.” He had some kids come up and do tricks to show what their muscles can do. He also had some teachers come up and do tricks to get a DVD of his shows. The Orpheum Theatre was like a big fancy castle filled with treasure. It had cushioned seats, a spiral staircase, brass decorations, and faces carved in the walls. There was a sky painted on the ceiling, and there was a painting of a desert on the wall. Where they had the show, they had lights that looked like clouds moving.”

Jon wasn’t exaggerating in his description of the theatre’s castle-like appearance. The Orpheum is the last remaining example of “theatre palace” architecture in Phoenix, and as much of its visible splendor as possible was restored. For example, two “mouse holes” on each side of the auditorium project moving clouds on the ceiling, and two further projectors on the balcony project stars. A website called “America's Stunning Theatres” has recent color photos of the Phoenix Orpheum: http://www.pbase.com/affablebeef/phoenix

Did You Know…? The historic Orpheum Theatre offers regularly scheduled free guided one-hour tours, every Monday at 12 noon and 1 pm. Tours are conducted by docents from the Friends of the Orpheum Theatre. "The Orpheum Theatre is easily the grandest, most beautiful entertainment venue in all of Arizona," said Robert R. Allen, Deputy Director Phoenix Civic Plaza, Phoenix Stages Division. "It was originally built in 1929, the last major construction project in Phoenix before the Great Depression. After the City of Phoenix bought the Orpheum in 1984 it was decided to completely restore what was once known as the 'Grand Dame of Movie Palaces' to its original splendor. It took 12 years to complete that project, and the result is an Orpheum Theatre every bit as magnificent as it was when it was first opened. We believe everyone should have the chance to see it, and learn about it, to truly appreciate what a wonderful treasure we have here in Phoenix." The Orpheum Theatre is located at 203 West Adams Street, one block north of Washington. Groups should call 602-534-5600 for tour bookings. Group tours may be scheduled throughout the week, depending upon theater availability. http://www.ci.phoenix.az.us/STAGES/orpheum.html

MacAlpine’s ~ October 21, 2006

After we picked up Peter, we went to MacAlpine’s Soda Fountain for lunch. MacAlpine's Restaurant and Soda Fountain is located in an old red brick building dating back to 1928. The address is 2303 N. Seventh St., Phoenix. MacAlpine’s once included a drugstore and a small shop adjoining the soda fountain. Now it contains Vintage Treasures and a large antique store next door. Unlike some places that are designed around a nostalgic theme, when you enter this restaurant you really do take a step back in time. MacAlpine’s features a collection of genuine memorabilia including antique Coke signs. Check out the 1952 jukebox as you walk in the front door. You can sit at the original counter on one of the swivel stools, in a booth, or at a small table. They serve burgers, sandwiches, soups and salads in addition to the typical fountain fare of shakes, malts, sodas and sundaes. They even have old-fashioned Eggcreams™ and Phosphates™ with 34 flavors to choose from! MacAlpine’s uses Thrifty™ brand ice cream, which many of us here in Arizona will remember being sold in drug stores when we were kids. Oh, and MacAlpine’s homemade lemonade is delicious! They also have seafood chowder, French onion soup, and Black Bean vegetarian burgers. Bring the family and experience an authentic 1950’s malt shop atmosphere. www.macalpinessodafountain.com

Indian School Park ~ October 21, 2006

Art class, Phoenix Indian School, Arizona. Photographed by Messinger, June 1900.

American Indian Select List number 161.

Courtesy of The National Archives, http://www.archives.gov/

While we were in the area, I had been wanting to drive past the Phoenix Indian School and see it again, but it wasn’t the way I remembered it. I expected to see a big old building right next to the street, but instead it’s a large grassy park with a few smaller buildings set back from the road.

Maybe I’m thinking of something else, or maybe the building I’m thinking of was torn down. Because they say that the rubble wall of the waterfall (behind the ampitheater) is recycled from an old Phoenix Indian School building. The architect also saved the WPA (Works Progress Administration) stamps from the original sidewalks and incorporated these into rubble walls throughout the park.

Today the complex is called Steele Indian School Park, and it’s one of the biggest parks in Phoenix. A wide circular walkway called “The Circle of Life” is at the heart of the park. In the center is a concrete water cistern on which is etched a poem that explains the American Indian design theme of the park. The Arbor Bridge and Entry Garden features a spiraling walkway that winds its way past native desert plants. There are columns with plaques on them and descriptive texts about the history of the school. The park also has a green area with grass and trees, an amphitheater, lake, dog area, and neighborhood playground.

I don’t know why they would demolish some historic buildings and choose to save others, but three of the old buildings remain:

Memorial Hall – This auditorium was built in 1922 to honor the students who fought in WWI, and it will be restored as an auditorium.

Band Building – Built in 1933, this building started out as the elementary school and later became the band building. It will be remodeled into Museum/Administrative Offices.

Dining Hall – Built in 1901, the dining hall will become a Native American Cultural Center and Museum.

Founded in 1891, the United States Industrial Indian School at Phoenix, later known as the Phoenix Indian School, was a coeducational, federal boarding school. Native American Indian children were brought from the reservations to be educated and assimilated into the white man's culture.

The campus had fourteen brick and twenty frame buildings which included a large schoolhouse, a two-story building containing employee quarters and a student dining hall, a shop for vocational training, several dormitories, a bathhouse, boiler house, water and sewer system. There were acres of fields where they grew hay, turnips, cabbages, tomatoes, and melons. They also had horses, mules, cattle, pigs, ducks, turkeys, and chickens. These provided for the vocational education of the students and also contributed to the school’s self-sufficiency.

An act of Congress, signed by President Ronald Reagan in November 1988, was to close the Phoenix Indian School and pass its administration from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to the National Park Service. Nineteen students, the last graduating class, walked up to the stage inside Memorial Hall and received their diplomas on May 24, 1990.

Websites

http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/sisp.html (Steele Indian School Park.)
http://www.archaeology.org/online/features/phoenix/ (Archaeology of the Phoenix Indian School.)

Burton Barr Central Library ~ October 21, 2006

I was always a fan of architect Will Bruder, especially since he was a neighbor of mine at one time, but I had never been inside the Burton Barr Central Library that he designed. After hearing everyone rave about it, I have to admit that it kind of burst my bubble because I wasn’t very impressed with the big new library that he built. Personally I thought it was too wide open with too much glass, not a pleasant experience for someone with acrophobia (fear of heights) or agoraphobia (fear of open spaces). On the fifth floor when you’re standing at the end of the stacks there’s only a pane of glass between you and the sky. You’re not even safe in the elevator because that’s glass-walled too! (It’s in the center of the building surrounded by a black-bottomed reflecting pool.) Maybe I’m a minority, I don’t know, but I prefer cozy cave-like spaces! (I did think the library’s entrance tunnel was pretty cool.)

Anyway, once I got over my initial sensory shock, I realized that the library’s collections are quite impressive indeed. We hung out at the magazine reading section for a while. They have a huge selection of magazines and we could have spent the whole day sitting there reading. It was nice and quiet, too, not many people around on a Saturday morning. But our 6-year-old got bored quickly so we took him over to the children’s section, which was safely situated on the ground floor and had a really interesting exhibit of Caldecott Medal books and more. We also passed by a Rare Book Room which was closed, but they had displays to look at through the glass. They also have an Arizona Room, Teen Room, Spanish Language Collection and Special Needs Center in addition to New Books, Audio-Visual Area, General Reference, Career Center, Government Documents, Career Center, Maps, Fiction and Non-fiction. For more information about the library and its collections, see: http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/branchinfo.jsp?bid=BBB

Downtown Phoenix ~ October 21, 2006

Our 16-year-old son Peter had to take his PSAT test on Saturday, October 21. The testing location in downtown Phoenix was about 50 miles from our house and we don’t get down that way very often, so we took the whole family along so we could do some stuff while we were there. During the time that Pete was taking the test, the rest of us explored the area while we were waiting for him.

Downtown Phoenix was pretty quiet on a Saturday morning. We drove past the Civic Plaza and it was all torn up for its expansion. We drove down Central Ave. and it was all torn up to put in the new light rail track. The Jewel Box on Central Ave. - which has been there for more than half a century - was gone! I wonder how long ago they closed its doors and why? Did the light rail construction hurt their business, or didn’t the pawn shop fit in with Phoenix’s community revitalization and economic development plan?

We discovered a Farmer’s Market near there, which was neat to see in the middle of the city. It’s called the Downtown Phoenix Public Market. A variety of vendors were selling locally-grown fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, ethnic foods, fudge, specialty items, crafts, etc. Pretty much everything offered for sale at the Market was grown or made by the person selling it. Look for the white tents every Saturday from 8 am - 1 pm at 721 N. Central (Central and McKinley). They even have a website, www.phoenixpublicmarket.com , where you can view the specials for that week.

We got a few muffins and then drove around looking for a nice park where we could sit and eat them. We drove past the Irish Cultural Center and around the corner to the Japanese Friendship Garden. It wasn’t open yet for the day, but we could peek in through the fence and in between the bamboo. It looks like a quiet, tranquil place with Japanese gardens, streams, waterfall and Koi pond. I don’t think they would appreciate a bunch of boisterous kids running around the paths, but I see on their website that they do offer school tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays: http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/jfg.html

Adjacent to the Friendship Garden was the Margaret T. Hance Park, which is a huge open expanse of green grass in the middle of Phoenix. The strange thing about Phoenix parks, at least the ones we went to, is that they don’t have any benches anywhere to sit on. Is that to keep transients away or something? As we got closer to the Burton Barr Central Library, there were some concrete benches where we sat for a while and watched some ants eat the crumbs from our bread. Then we decided to walk over to the library (see next post).