Englewood Theater Community Archive

The Englewood Theater first opened its doors in the summer of 1949 with a premiere showing of “Colorado Territory,” starring Joel McCrea and Virginia Mayo, which drew a crowd of over 4,000 people. In the 76 years since, the theater’s 60-foot marquee — along with the Ben Franklin five and dime next door — has been a familiar and enduring landmark for those living in Englewood neighborhood, even as the property changed hands and purposes over time. Many people in the Kansas City area might also remember the theater as the K.C. Opry, a live music venue operated by Carlton “Tuffy” Williams starting in the 1980s featuring country music artists like Conway Twitty, Randy Travis, and Garth Brooks. After nearly 60 years of entertainment, the Englewood Theater closed its doors in 2007. The event was made possible through a partnership with the Friends of Englewood Theater.

To browse the full Englewood Theater Community Archive, click here.

While Kansas City is world-renowned for its jazz, this is not the only rich music scene the metro boasts. From 1978 through 1989, the KC Opry, a Nashville-style country music venue featuring local and big-name musicians alike, operated out of the historic Englewood Theater, in the Englewood neighborhood of Independence, Missouri. For nine of its eleven-year run, the theater was owned and operated by Tuffy Williams, a local musician and entertainer.

Hundreds of musicians passed through the KC Opry over the years, among them Loretta Lynn, Jerry Lee Lewis, Kris Kristofferson, and Garth Brooks. Most memorable was Tuffy himself, whose larger-than-life personality and charisma made him a local legend. An experienced performer, Tuffy was known for his theatrics on the piano, often playing with his feet, improvising setlists, and performing his signature gunpowder explosion trick to a lively rendition of “Great Balls of Fire.”