The Orpheum, State and Pantages theatres have a century-long history of lighting up Hennepin Avenue with top-tier entertainment. The historic theatres and the shows that come alive on their stages help define the Hennepin Theatre District as a dynamic art and cultural destination.

We present this collection of autographed Broadway show posters — donated to Hennepin Theatre Trust by Fred Krohn ­— as part of “It’s the People,” our year-long focus on art that celebrates the people whose experiences and stories create the unique vibrancy of Minneapolis’ most famous street.

Krohn is a long-time leader in the performing arts industry, who started in concert promotion and theatre management in the 1970s. As president, general manager and co-owner of Historic Theatre Group, which manages our three historic theaters, Krohn played a key role in the preservation of the theatres and transformation of Hennepin Avenue into the vibrant Theatre District it is today. He collected these posters over the course of his career and donated them to the Trust, the nonprofit owner of the theatres, when he retired in 2018.

The posters give us a glimpse into the grand tradition of Broadway on Hennepin Avenue.

The posters

The poster of A Chorus Line  dates back to 1978, when the Orpheum Theatre was owned by Bob Dylan and brother David Zimmerman. Krohn and the brothers reopened the theatre with a successful run of the classic Broadway show.

The oversized poster from the 1992 run of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, is from a key moment in that transformation when Krohn spearheaded the successful effort to save and restore the State Theatre. He booked a multi-week sellout run of the show starring Donny Osmond.

That successful run, along with several others, helped convince City of Minneapolis officials to purchase the Orpheum Theatre and finance a similar restoration. Krohn reopened the Orpheum Theatre in 1993. In 1997, Krohn led the negotiations with Disney to host the world premiere of The Lion King, which was just the first of several U.S. and world premieres at the Orpheum. Other premiere productions include Victor, Victoria  starring Julie Andrews and Disney’s Beauty and The Beast.

The three theatres are now owned by Hennepin Theatre Trust, which was established by Krohn in 2000 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to assume responsibility for and guarantee the future of the State, Orpheum and Pantages theatres.

Learn more about the history of the Orpheum, State and Pantages theatres.

View the exhibit

See the collection at the Hennepin Theatre Trust Event Center at 900 Hennepin Avenue during The Band’s Visit, December 10 – 15 and during Jesus Christ Superstar, January 17 – 26. The gallery is open 90 minutes before curtain each performance.