Grand Opening of Shea’s Archives - Shea's Performing Arts Center

January 16th 1926, marked a year and a day from the initial groundbreaking to build Shea's Buffalo Theatre and became the grand opening of 'The Wonder Theatre'!

The first movie shown at Shea's Buffalo Theatre was <i>The King On Main Street</i>, starring Adolphe Menjou. Although a silent film, The King On Main Street includes two sequences filmed in early two-strip Technicolor.

The first movie shown at Shea's Buffalo Theatre was The King On Main Street, starring Adolphe Menjou. Although a silent film, The King On Main Street includes two sequences filmed in early two-strip Technicolor.

In 1926, movie theaters could only show movies distributed by one film studio - a practice called "block booking" - and Shea's Buffalo Theatre was part of Famous Players–Lasky Corporation, renamed as Paramount in 1927, which it is still known as today!

The front of the playbill from Shea's Buffalo Theatre's grand opening on January 16, 1926, reflects the excitement of the evening, where Michael Shea hosted 4,000 of his closest friends.

Shea's ushers dressed in their special grand opening uniforms

C.W. & Geo. L. Rapp Architects

While today this space serves as our Spotlight Lounge for Shea's Donors, in 1926 this was the Musicians' Lounge where live music was played for audiences entering the lobby!

The Mens' Lounge (basement)

The Ladies' Room - each with a personal vanity.

These photos belonged to the archives of Rapp & Rapp Architects in Chicago, and remain our best resource on restoring Shea's Buffalo a hundred years later to its orginal historic state as it looked on Opening Day in 1926.

Our Grand Lobby and Grand Staircase on our Grand Opening Day.

Did you know? When Shea’s Buffalo Theatre first opened, the iconic red velvet seats weren't quite ready for their debut! Early audiences left the theater with an unexpected souvenir: red stains on their clothes from the fresh dye.