Pabst Theater facts for kids
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Grande Olde Lady
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Southern façade c.1970
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| Full name | Captain Frederick Pabst Theater |
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| Address | 144 E Wells St Milwaukee, WI S3202-3519 |
| Location | East Town |
| Public transit |  MCTS |
| Owner | Pabst Theater Group |
| Operator | PTG Live Events |
| Capacity | 1,339 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | December 1894 |
| Opened | November 9, 1895 |
| Renovated | 1928, 1976, 1989, 1998, 2002 |
| Construction cost | $300,000 |
| Architect | Otto Strack |
| Website | |
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Pabst Theater
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| Architectural style | German Renaissance Revival, Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000063 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 11, 1972 |
| Designated NHL | December 4, 1991 |
The Pabst Theater is a famous place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where people go to watch shows and concerts. Many people just call it "the Pabst." It hosts about 100 events every year. Built in 1895, it's one of the oldest theaters in the United States that has been open all the time. Famous people like pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff and actor Laurence Olivier have performed here. Today, big music stars also play at the Pabst.
The Pabst Theater is known for being very fancy and beautiful. It also played a big part in the German-American culture in Milwaukee. It's officially a special landmark for the city and state. It was even named a National Historic Landmark in 1991. Some people call it the "Grande Olde Lady" because it's the oldest theater in Milwaukee's theater area.
The Pabst is a traditional theater with a proscenium stage. This means the audience looks at the stage through a big arch, like a picture frame. It has two balconies and can hold about 1,300 people. The theater hosts many different kinds of shows. These include music, comedy, dance, opera, and plays. It also has a special hydraulic orchestra pit that can move up and down. This makes it great for almost any type of performance.
The main seating area, called the auditorium, is shaped like a drum. It is decorated in red and maroon colors with gold and silver details. A huge, 2-ton Austrian crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling. The theater also has a beautiful staircase made from white Italian Carrara marble. The arch around the stage is covered in gold leaf, making it shine.
The theater has a historic organ. This organ used to play music for silent films a long time ago. It's a very special instrument with 4 keyboards and 20 sets of pipes.
History of the Pabst Theater
The story of the Pabst Theater began in 1890. A famous brewer named Frederick Pabst bought an old opera house. He renamed it Das Neue Deutsche Stadt-Theater, which means "The New German City Theater."
Sadly, the building was damaged by fire in 1893. Then, in January 1895, another fire completely destroyed it. But Frederick Pabst wanted it rebuilt right away. So, it was quickly rebuilt and opened later in 1895 as The Pabst Theater.
Design and Style
The Pabst Theater was designed by an architect named Otto Strack. He designed it to look like the grand European opera houses. He used a style called German Renaissance Revival. Strack made sure the theater was very safe from fires. It was one of the most fire-proof theaters of its time. He also made it one of the most beautiful and fancy.
The Pabst Theater was very important for German-American culture in Milwaukee. In the early 1900s, Milwaukee was even called Deutsch Athen, or "German Athens." For many years, the theater showed plays and performances in German. But by 1918, they started having more shows in English.
Theater Renovations
The Pabst Theater has been updated several times over the years. The first big update was in 1928. In 1976, after a time when it wasn't used as much, it was brought back to its original beautiful style.
In 1989, a colonnade was added. This is a row of columns that connected the theater to the Milwaukee Center. The most recent updates happened in the year 2000. These changes included adding elevators and more restrooms. They also replaced some seats and improved the air system. A new pub, Cudahy's Irish Pub, was also added in the lobby.
Because the Pabst Theater was designed like the best German Opera Houses, it has amazing sound quality. This means that music and voices sound very clear inside the theater.
Cool Technology at the Pabst
When Otto Strack designed the Pabst Theater, he used many new ideas for its time. One of these was a fire curtain. This was one of the first in the country. It also had all-electric lights, which was very modern.
The theater even had an early air conditioning system. It used fans and large amounts of ice to cool the air. The Pabst also had an electric organ, which was a new invention back then. The theater is also believed to be the first in Milwaukee to use a counterweight system. This system helps to lift and lower scenery on the stage. It was put in after World War I and is still used today.
Other Events at the Pabst
Besides concerts and plays, the Pabst Theater has also hosted other special events. In 2016, a documentary film called A Billion Lives had its first showing in North America at the Pabst. In 2017, another film called Batman & Jesus by a Milwaukee native, Jozef K. Richards, also premiered there.
Famous Names on the Walls
If you look closely at the main seating area, you'll see names of 15 famous artists written around the top. These are people who were important in art, music, and literature. They include: Ibsen, Wagner, Molière, Aristotle, Michelangelo, Dante, Aeschylus, Thespis, Homer, Raphael, Shakespeare, Garrick, Beethoven, Goethe, and Bernard O. Gruenke, who helped restore the theater.
See also
