Overview

The Riviera Theatre opened in late March 1927 with a screening of the movie Evening Clothes (1927)  starring Adolphe Menjou.

The theatre’s organ was a 4-manual Wurlitzer Style 260 Special (opus 1571), and was the only 4-manual theatre organ in the state of Nebraska.

The theatre was distinctive for its unusual Atmospheric style featuring Moorish and Italian Renaissance architecture, a combination seldom seen in the U.S. Midwest. The courtyard interior was labelled Hispano-Italian by architect John Eberson.

In May 1927, representatives of Australia’s Union Theatres – including managing director Stuart F. Doyle and architect Henry White – were toured around the theatre by architect John Eberson. White would go on to adapt Eberson’s plans for the Capitol Theatre in Sydney which was taken over and converted into a movie palace in 1927 by Union Theatres.

From 1952 the theatre was mostly dark, with only a few stage shows being presented and a brief period when it was used by Omaha’s Bowling League.

Following a renovation and being taken over by the Dubinsky Brothers chain, it reopened in June 16, 1962 with a reduced seating capacity of 1,465 as the Astro Theatre with James Stewart in Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962) . It had a 70ft wide screen and was equipped with 70mm projectors.