Victoria Theatre, San Francisco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Victoria TheatreBrown's Opera House El Teatro Victoria New Follies Burlesk |
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San Francisco Victoria Theatre showing Outfoxed (July 16, 2004)
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| Location | 2961-16th Street, San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Built | 1908 |
| Designated | March 3, 1996 |
| Reference no. | 215 |
The Victoria Theatre is a historic theater located in San Francisco, California. It has 480 seats and is found in the city's Mission District. The theater is at 2961-16th Street, right at Capp Street. It hosts many different kinds of shows, including plays, live music concerts, film festivals, and musicals. Since 1996, it has been recognized as a San Francisco Designated Landmark, which means it's an important historical place.
History of the Victoria Theatre
The Victoria Theatre first opened its doors in 1908. Back then, it was known as Brown's Opera House. It showed popular variety shows called vaudeville and also early motion pictures. The theater was owned by the family of famous California politicians, Pat Brown and Jerry Brown.
In the 1940s and 1950s, the theater changed its name to El Teatro Victoria. During this time, it mainly showed movies in Spanish language. Later, from 1963 to 1978, it was called the New Follies Theater and featured a different kind of stage show.
After a big renovation in 1978, the theater reopened in March 1979. It was then given its current name, the Victoria Theatre. It is proud to be the oldest theater in San Francisco that is still open and putting on shows today.
In 1984, the famous actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg performed her one-woman show at the Victoria Theatre. This show helped her become well-known across the country. The Oakland Museum of California even keeps a poster from her show.
What's Happening Now at the Theatre
The Victoria Theatre is equipped with modern technology for showing films. It can play both video and traditional 35mm films, and it has Dolby Pro Logic Surround Sound for a great audio experience. The 2010 movie All About Evil, created by Peaches Christ (whose real name is Joshua Grannell), was filmed both inside and outside the Victoria Theatre.
The theater is a popular spot for film festivals. For example, from June 19 to 29, 2014, the Victoria Theatre, along with the Roxie Cinema and the Castro Theatre, hosted the 38th Frameline San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival.
The Victoria Theatre also shows new documentary films, like The Recess Ends. It's also a stage for live performances by groups such as Ray of Light Theatre. They have put on many musicals there, including Bat Boy: The Musical (in 2005), The Rocky Horror Show (in 2008), and The Who's Tommy (in 2009).
See also
