Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

Exterior of venue seen from Broadway (c. 2007)
Former names	Portland Publix Theatre (1928–30) Paramount Theatre (1930–84)
Address	1037 SW Broadway Portland, OR 97205-3004
Location	Downtown Portland
Owner	City of Portland
Operator	Portland's Centers for the Arts
Capacity	2,776
Construction
Opened	March 8, 1928
Closed	1982
Reopened	September 8, 1984
Construction cost	$1.5 million ($25.3 million in 2022 dollars )
Architect	Rapp and Rapp
Paramount Theatre
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Architectural style	Italian Rococo Revival
NRHP reference No.	76001585
Added to NRHP	April 22, 1976

The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, often called "The Schnitz," is a famous old theater in Portland, Oregon. It first opened in 1928 as the Portland Publix Theatre. Later, its name changed to the Paramount Theatre. Today, it's a major place for performing arts. It hosts the Oregon Symphony and many other groups. It's also a popular spot for concerts and movies. This historic building is the last big theater left on Broadway in Portland. This street used to have many grand theaters.

Building History: From Movies to Music

Paramount Theatre in 1939

The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall was designed by a famous architectural firm called Rapp and Rapp. They were well-known for creating beautiful theater buildings. When it first opened, it was considered the biggest and most luxurious theater in Portland.

A Grand Movie Palace

The theater first opened in March 1928 as the Portland Publix Theatre. It was a place for vaudeville shows, which were like variety shows with different acts. In 1930, its name changed to the Paramount Theatre. This was because the owners had a deal to show Paramount Pictures films. The building continued to show movies until 1972. After that, it started hosting live concerts.

When visitors arrived, they saw a huge 65-foot (about 20-meter) tall sign above the entrance. It first said "Portland" and had about 6,000 lights! In 1930, it changed to "Paramount." Then, in 1984, it was changed back to "Portland."

The theater had many fancy lobbies and foyers. The main entrance had large windows with velvet drapes. The walls were covered with mirrors and marble. Expensive carpets covered the floors. Some of the furniture was even bought from a French museum! The snack counter was made of marble and was super long. People called it the "longest candy counter in the West."

Huge crystal chandeliers hung in the lobby. The biggest one was almost 8 feet (about 2.4 meters) wide. It weighed over 1,700 pounds (about 770 kg) and had 181 lights! Today, the largest chandelier has 137 bulbs.

The top row of balcony seats was six stories high above the stage. There were special lounges for men and women. The men's lounge had fireplaces and phones. The women's lounge had dressing tables and hairdressers.

The main hall was decorated with murals. Near the stage, there were small balconies with drapes. These hid the pipes of a large Wurlitzer organ. This organ could be raised to the stage level with a button.

Newspaper ads once claimed the theater had "An acre of seats" and could hold 4,000 people. But it actually held about 3,000 people. The ceilings were designed so that lights glowed indirectly. This made the space feel open and free.

The orchestra pit could hold 30 musicians. There was also a "flying" stage. This stage could be moved up, down, or around above the main stage.

In 1928, the theater was part of an unusual robbery. A young man named Robert Nolan saw himself in a movie playing there. On a whim, he robbed the box office for $1,176.

During the Great Depression, the theater tried to attract people. They hired musicians and even a "psychic" to entertain in the lobby. Admission was 50 cents then, down from 60 cents on opening night.

Over the years, the building started to show its age. Parts of the balcony and masonry fell off. The owners didn't seem to be spending money on repairs. In 1971, a new owner, John Haviland, bought the theater.

Becoming a Concert Venue

John Haviland felt it was too expensive to run a 3,000-seat movie theater. On August 15, 1972, the last new movie was shown. After that, the theater was leased to a company that promoted live concerts. Bands like Heart, Tom Petty, and Elvis Costello played there. Tickets were sometimes as low as 92 cents!

However, the owner, Haviland, was losing money. He even tried to turn the property into a gambling casino. In 1975, he held an auction and sold off many of the theater's valuable items. These included statues, the organ, antique furniture, and paintings. He wanted to stop the rock concerts, saying the young audiences were causing damage. He won a court case to end the lease.

In 1976, the theater was sold to West Coast Theatres. In 1980, the owner offered to sell it to the city for $4 million. The city debated whether to fix it up or tear it down and build a new center. In 1982, the city decided to buy the building. A jury decided the city had to pay the owner $4.1 million. The theater cost $500,000 to build in 1928. Today, it's worth over $32 million!

A Grand Restoration

The Schnitzer at night

In 1972, the Portland City Council decided to give the building "Landmark Status." This protected its outside appearance. Many people felt the inside was also very important. In 1976, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

A big renovation started in September 1983. The goal was to bring back its original beauty. The inside of the main hall was painted a neutral color. It didn't get its old murals back. Arlene and Harold Schnitzer, who lived in Portland, gave a lot of money to help with the project. The renovation cost $10 million and took one year. It fixed and replaced many of the theater's fancy decorations. It also made the building safe and comfortable for today's audiences.

The famous 65-foot "Paramount" sign was taken down in 1984. A new sign was made to look just like the original "Portland" sign from 1928. This new sign, with 5-foot tall neon letters, was put up in September 1984. The theater reopened later that month.

Today, the concert hall hosts many different events. You can see classical music, jazz, pop, rock, and gospel concerts. There are also dance shows, plays, travel films, and conferences.

The concert hall has:

• Seating for 2,776 people.
• A stage that is 94 by 32 feet (about 28.6 by 9.7 meters).
• An orchestra pit for 15 musicians.
• Dressing rooms for 90 performers.
• A special shell that helps make the sound better.

The design includes wool carpets made in New Zealand. The original chandeliers were fixed and given new crystals. The fancy interior was repaired and replaced. The new colors are warm and neutral, with teal. This replaced the original dark gold, green, and rose colors.

When the performing arts center opened in 1984, the Portland Theatre building was named after Arlene Schnitzer.

The original theater organ and statues were sold in an auction in 1975. During the auction, people wanted to keep a marble statue called "Surprise." The audience collected money, and $5,233.97 was raised to buy the statue. It is still in the theater lobby today. The statue even has a missing finger from a bullet during a robbery in the 1950s!

Famous Performances

Many famous people have performed at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Here is a partial list:

See Also

• List of concert halls
• Portland sign