Brick & Stone Episode 6 | Pantages Theater
Brick and Stone: Celebrating Tacoma's Architectural Legacy
Episode 6: Pantages Theater
Constructed when the city was still the Wild West, Tacoma’s Pantages Theater established itself all on its own, making its mark on the arts in the South Sound region from the beginning. It has been the Roxy and the Orpheum. It’s held movies, many vaudevilles, and musicals. Through it all, it has remained an icon.
Originally built in 1916-1918 by the renowned Greek-American vaudeville impresario Alexander Pantages. Pantages moved to Seattle in 1902 where he opened the Crystal Theater. In 1904 he opened a second theater that he named The Pantages. By 1920 he owned more than 30 similar vaudeville theaters and through management contracts operated around 60 more between the United States and Canada combined. These theaters came to be known as the “Pantages Circuit”, a chain of venues in which Pantages could book and rotate long-term contract touring acts.
Tacoma’s Pantages Theater was designed by the architectural firm of B. Marcus Priteca, which was known for its opulent and ornate theater designs. The theater was constructed in a Beaux-Arts style, a theme faithful to late 19th and early 20th century streetscapes. Recognizable by its lavish decorative elements, intricate plasterwork, and grand facade. Stepping inside you’re met with a magnificent chandelier, gilded moldings, and a large, sweeping balcony. The theater had a seating capacity of around 1,274, and it was known for its luxurious atmosphere and excellent acoustics.
The silent film era came to an end as “talkies” became the new theater sensation in the 1930s. At this time the theater underwent some changes and was converted into a cinema. During this period, some alterations were made to accommodate the screening of films, and the theater's focus shifted away from live performances. In the years to come it would change hands several times as it was sold to RKO, becoming the Roxy Theater and later the Orpheum Theater.
As suburban living became the shiny, sought-after dream, Tacoma’s downtown areas and older buildings, including the Pantages, were suddenly swept into what was referred to as “urban decay”. Thus beginning a period of decline and disrepair for the once lively, central theater. Thankfully, in the 1970s, a group of local activists lobbied politicians and raised money to keep the Pantages alive. This helped the City of Tacoma recognize its historical and architectural significance, sparking a restoration project aimed to bring the theater back to its original glory, preserving and echoing its historic character while updating it for contemporary use.
Once a stage to Babe Ruth, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Charlie Chaplin, the restored Pantages Theater reopened in 1983 welcoming its first entertainer – comedian Steve Allen. Once again becoming a prominent venue for live performances, including Broadway shows, concerts, and other events.
More recently the theater underwent another massive $24.5 million renovation replacing all the theater seats, carpets, and drapes. All new paint, plaster treatment, and interior detail work to revive the original 1918 design highlighting the theater's original architectural elegance, which had been monochromatic for the past 40 years. A new center aisle provides an enormous advancement for safety should there be an emergency, cutting exit time in half. As well as improved acoustics, particularly for classical music.
Today, the theater is part of the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts and continues to be a hub for cultural and artistic events in Tacoma. It is the last of the Pantages Theaters still in operation: the reigning queen, glamorous til the end.
