Yucca Theater (Midland, Texas)

The Yucca Theater is a theatre in Midland, Texas. In 1927, oilman and former Montana senator Thomas S. Hogan announced plans to build a theatre to complement the nearby Petroleum Building. Built in 1929, the Yucca Theatre started as a movie and vaudeville house. The theatre is a Texas historic landmark.[1]

Yucca Theater
Address208 N Colorado St.
LocationMidland, Texas
Coordinates31.9988955°N 102.0765014°W / 31.9988955; -102.0765014
Capacity550
Construction
Opened1929 (1929)
Renovated1981
ArchitectH.B. Layman

Description

The interior, designed by H.B. Layman, features gilded Assyrian bulls, stenciled lotus flower lamps, and a two-tier balcony. The Egyptian style is a sign of the late 1920s, which was prominent at the time, thanks in part to the discovery of King Tut's tomb a few years earlier.[2]

Renovation and upgrades
The Yucca Theatre is attached to the Petroleum Building in downtown Midland, TX.

In 1981, volunteers undertook the effort of fully restoring the Yucca to its original condition, saving it from destruction and retaining the original architecture with golden bulls and winged lions, with the modification of replacing the cabaret seating with tables and chairs.[3] Professional crews were brought in to make a few additions. These include a tiered floor for cabaret seating, as well as a few technology updates. After the restoration was completed, the Yucca became the new home of Summer Mummers that began in 1949[4] and still performs exclusively at the Yucca to this day.[5]

In 2008, a new sound system was installed.[6]

References
  1. Stucco, Johnny. "The Yucca Theatre". Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  2. "Midland: Yucca Theatre". Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  3. "The Yucca Theatre". RoadsideArchitecture.com. p. 7. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  4. "At This Texas Theater, the Show Gets Rowdy and the Crowd Gets Messy". New York Times. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  5. "Prepare for a 'Diabolical' summer". Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  6. "Yucca Theatre Relives Golden Age of Vaudeville with Electro-Voice". Front of House Magazine. July 22, 2008. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
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