 In addition to wanting to hide the areas that were already in poor condition, it was thought that such decorations would detract from the films.After falling into disrepair for some years, the city of Phoenix purchased the Orpheum Theatre in 1984 and began a 12-year, $14 million restoration.The Conrad Schmitt Studios created the transformation and the Orpheum reopened on January 28, 1997, with a performance of "Hello, Dolly!"