TULSA THEATER

Completed in 1914, the Tulsa Theatre (formerly the Brady Theatre) was designed as a municipal auditorium and convention hall. When it opened, it was billed as the largest theater between Kansas City and Houston. In 1921, during the race riots that affected the city, it was temporarily used as a prison. In 1930, world-renowned architect Bruce Goff made a major interior renovation. In 1952, modifications were made to the front and back of the original structure, and the upper and lower halls were added; the building was renamed the Tulsa Municipal Theater. Over the years, the building has hosted many of the biggest names in entertainment and show business, including Chet Atkins, Chicago, Phil Collins, Alice Cooper, David Copperfield, Bill Cosby, Tom Jones, Kenny Rogers, U2, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Robin Williams. In 1979, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The architectural design at the time was considered to be in the "Western classic revival" style. The building was superseded in 1977 as the city's municipal auditorium by the construction a few blocks southeast of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. In 2020, the theater gradually took on the name Tulsa Theatre on social media before permanently changing its name. Today, it continues to be affectionately called "The Old Lady on Brady" and remains one of Tulsa's most popular venues.