Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Sooner Theatre

    4.7 (10 reviews)

    Sooner Theatre Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Sooner Theatre

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    John A.

    The Sooner Theatre opened her doors for the first time in 1929 as the first movie theatre in the region built to show "talking pictures." Architect Harold Gimeno spared no expense while building the Spanish Gothic Style building, spending over $200,000. Mosaic tile and Italian marble were imported for the project, and a special ladies' lounge was installed on the mezzanine level. The ceiling is adorned with 252 Spanish coat-of-arms, which were hand painted by the Patricio Gimeno, the architect's father. The theatre even boasted refrigerated air and cooled water fountains. The audience gasped in surprise when the first "talkie," Alias Jimmy Valentine played; the actors were speaking! After working frantically throughout that first show to cue the oversized records with the miles and miles of cellophane tape, the projectionist quit in disgust. Moving pictures were "too darn complicated" and, he predicted, they would not last. It was the 1970s and movie theatres became multiplexes and the single screened Sooner just couldn't keep up with the demand. In 1975, the Sooner Theatre closed with Attack of the Amazons. It seemed that the only future visitor the Sooner Theatre could look forward to was the wrecking ball. A dedicated group of citizens refused to lose the theater, and appealed to the City of Norman under the aegis of The Sooner Theatre, Inc. The City agreed to purchase the theatre and lease her to them for a dollar per year. After the first phase of restoration, Norman's own "Grand Dame" opened her doors again in 1982 as a community performing arts center. The theatre is now listed on both the State and National Registry of Historic Places, and hosts a variety of shows, ranging from ballet and opera to concerts, plays and musicals.

    Sooner a Theater

    See all

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    We just came from a matinee for the Wizard of Oz. Fantastic cast. Dorothy and the lion were wonderful. As good as Broadway. Go !!

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of John A.
    341
    73
    191

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mandy H.
    35
    11
    11

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Sooner Theatre

    Review Highlights - Sooner Theatre

    I saw my first show at Sooner Theatre, the musical Mamma Mia and it was truly a delight!

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Juggle Whatever - Inspyral Passing Light-Up Clubs

    Juggle Whatever

    5.0(1 review)
    0.2 mi

    5 star I got the honor of having "Jeremy the Juggler" out to…read morethe 7 libraries in our system with 9 different performances over spring break last week! As a past teacher, I loved the hands on part of Jeremy's show because it gave the kids a way to learn and practice, not just watch. He did such an wonderful job with his performance and his ability to work with any size group of children. One of our libraries had 50 attend, one had 3, and one had 94 and he was still very calm and helpful to every group either big or small. We had kids coming away from these performances either juggling, spinning plates, or a couple even learned how to "stationary juggling" with the big ball! We will have him back out to our system again soon because the kids, teens, and adults all had a blast at his performances!! Thank you, Sarah Williams Western Plains Library System

    From the owner: Juggle Whatever strives to provide a fun interactive experience for any age. Our specialties…read moreinclude Juggling, Unicycling, Hula Hooping, and Stilt Walking. Plus some more rare skills. If you ask, we will light up the evening with a colorful glow show! The patterns and effect make the lights look futuristic. It really is something to see. We have traveled all over Oklahoma performing at Festivals, Summer Camps, and Libraries. We also do Local Workshops, Church Events, Retirement Homes, Birthday Parties, and other Special Events. If you have a theme, let us know. We can make our shows or our workshops match to fit your theme. Bring the fun and the excitement to your next event! For more information and to see us in action; visit our website. www.JuggleWhatever.com

    The Deli - Live Music in Norman!

    The Deli

    4.1(30 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $

    Just left here usually a fun time, friends and I always have good time...until tonight when my…read moresisters and I were trying to use the restroom as my sister sat down on the toilet the door got kicked in by two grown ass (40-50) women. One said "I know there are more stales in here open the fucking door" if you've been to the deli you would know there is only one toliet in the girls restroom. A grown male walked in to the restroom totally unprofessional and weird... The owner told us to get out obviously to de-escalate the situation this led to him telling us to get the fuck out as the bar was starting to close. We were just trying to tell him what happened as it was very uncomfortable, he then told us to use the mens restroom and it will be fine . If i were you i would avoid using the bathroom...because everyone felt like it was okay to watch you half naked/ felt in-tilted to kick the door open.

    In a bar with only drinks to serve, hitting the service level to achieve a reasonable review of…read moresuccess should be easier; however, the only thing easy about The Deli was leaving, never to return. While the list of things wrong with this bar is longer than the lines at the restroom, mostly caused by the breaks taken by the staff to visit the facilities every fifteen minutes, I'll try to keep the problems to the most egregious. First, the bartenders couldn't be bothered to take an order. If you were lucky enough to make eye contact with one of them between their continuous arguments with each other, you were met with an uncanny ability to either forget your order within seconds or walk back to your table only to find the order was wrong. The line in the bar was quite long, not because the bar was packed with patrons, but rather because you would have to place your order multiple times, or return because it was an errant attempt at your order. The line was so long in fact, that multiple fights broke out while in line either between staff and customers or amongst the patrons themselves. Overall I believe the reason this place even stays open is it's near OU campus and doesn't have to work too hard to take advantage of the occasional new student, over served future middle management cog, or some out of town parents trying a local place. Do better.

    Photos
    The Deli
    The Deli - Dive-Bar-Vibes

    Dive-Bar-Vibes

    The Deli - Mike Hosty

    See all

    Mike Hosty

    Sooner Theatre - theater - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...