Pantages Playhouse Theatre facts for kids
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Théâtre Pantages Playhouse
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| Location | 180 Market Avenue East Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3B 0P7 |
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| Owner | City of Winnipeg |
| Designation | |
| Official name: Pantages Playhouse Theatre National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Designated: | 15 November 1985 |
| Municipally Designated Site | |
| Designation | Winnipeg Landmark Heritage Structure |
| Recognized | October 1, 2004 |
| CRHP listing | May 18, 2007 |
| Recognition authority | City of Winnipeg |
| ID | 7367 |
| Capacity | 1,475 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 9 February 1914 |
| Architect | George W. Northwood and B. Marcus Priteca |
The Pantages Playhouse Theatre is a historic building in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It used to be a famous theatre where many different kinds of shows were performed. In French, it's called French: Théâtre Pantages Playhouse.
This two-story building has a beautiful front, called a façade. It has a bright sign, known as a marquee, that lights up the front. You can also see classic decorations like tall columns and fancy carvings called friezes and cornices. Inside, the lobby still has its original marble walls and decorative plaster ceiling.
The Pantages Playhouse Theatre is one of the few theatres left from the original 75 that once belonged to the Pantages chain.
Contents
A Look Back: Theatre History
Building the Pantages Theatre
The Pantages Theatre was built between 1913 and 1914. It officially opened its doors on February 9, 1914. This theatre is located in Winnipeg's Exchange District. It was the ninth theatre built by the Pantages company, which eventually had 86 theatres.
The theatre was designed by architects George W. Northwood and B. Marcus Priteca. The Pantages company was a big American chain that put on live shows. These included plays, music, and a type of entertainment called vaudeville. Vaudeville shows featured many different acts, like comedians, singers, and dancers.
Famous Performers and Jazz History
Many famous performers appeared at the Pantages Theatre. These included Buster Keaton, Ella Fitzgerald, and Stan Laurel. Winnipeg was an important place for performers to try out their acts. Alexander Pantages, the owner, once said that all his acts started in Winnipeg before going on tour.
The theatre also hosted the very first jazz concert in Canada. This happened in 1914 when the Creole Band performed there. This performance was the first jazz concert outside the United States. It helped jazz become popular around the world.
Changes Over the Years
In 1923, the Pantages theatre company moved to a different building. The City of Winnipeg then bought the theatre. They renamed it the Playhouse Theatre. It was used for live plays, but this change was not very successful. So, it went back to showing vaudeville, musical shows, and movies. The last vaudeville show at the Pantages Theatre was on June 23, 1923.
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet had its first performance on this stage in June 1940. They continued to perform there until the Manitoba Centennial Concert Hall was built in 1967.
In 1943, the City Finance Committee sold the building. The new owner wanted to use it for vaudeville and movies. However, the city took it back in 1945 because of unpaid taxes. In 1948, the theatre started featuring amateur performers. This led to the creation of the Manitoba Theatre Centre in 1956.
Renovations and New Management
During the 1980s, the theatre's main hall was repainted. The seats and curtains were replaced with items from another cinema. In 1993, the City of Winnipeg bought the front part of the building. They added a new entrance and lobby. Improvements were also made backstage.
In February 1998, a group called the Performing Arts Consortium of Winnipeg, Inc. took over managing the theatre.
In 2019, the City of Winnipeg agreed to sell the theatre to Alex Boersma and Lars Nicholson. The sale was delayed because of talks about keeping a monument to the 1919 Winnipeg general strike nearby. In July 2020, the theatre was then sold to the Performing Arts Coalition (PAC) for a very small amount of money. Boersma's company kept a small piece of land next to the theatre for building homes. The PAC plans to raise a lot of money to fix up the historic theatre. They also plan to put a team in place to run it.
