Victory Theatre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Victory Theater and Hotel Sonntag
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Front and side of the theater
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 Location in Indiana
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| Location | 600–614 Main St., Evansville, Indiana |
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| Area | Less than 1 acre (4,000 m2) |
| Built | 1921 |
| Architect | J.E.O. Pridmore |
| MPS | Downtown Evansville MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 82000124 |
| Added to NRHP | July 1, 1982 |
The Victory Theatre is a large building in Evansville, Indiana. It has 1,950 seats, making it a great place for many shows. Today, it is the main home for the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. It also welcomes local ballet groups, modern dance companies, and other theater shows. Many touring productions also visit this historic stage.
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The Victory Theatre: A Historic Stage
The Victory Theatre first opened its doors on June 16, 1921. Back then, it could seat 2,500 people! It was part of a bigger building complex that included the Sonntag Hotel. Marcus Sonntag and his partners helped create this grand theater. They hired the Hoffman Construction Company to build it. The theater was even air-conditioned using commercial ice, which was very modern for its time.
From Vaudeville to Movies
When it first opened, the Victory Theatre offered a fun daily show. This included four different vaudeville acts, which were like variety shows with singing, dancing, and comedy. There was also a movie, a comedy routine, organ music, and a ten-piece orchestra playing live.
In 1926, a big movie company called Loews Theatres took over the theater. They renamed it Loew's Victory. In 1928, this theater showed Evansville's very first "talking picture," a movie with sound, called "Tenderloin." Later that same year, "The Jazz Singer," starring Al Jolson, became the first full-length movie with sound shown in the city.
A New Beginning
The Loew's Victory Theatre closed in 1971. After that, it was divided into three smaller movie screens, but it closed again in 1979. For a while, it seemed like the theater's story might be over.
However, the community worked hard to save it. The theater was completely brought back to its original beautiful look. This huge restoration project cost $15 million! The Victory Theatre reopened in 1998, ready to host new generations of performers and audiences.
Design and Features
The Victory Theatre was designed by an architect named John Pridmore from Chicago. The outside of the building looks simple, like many other buildings from that time. But inside, the main auditorium is very fancy and decorated.
The stage itself is quite impressive. It is 68 feet (21 m) wide and 82 feet (25 m) deep. When it was built, it was one of the largest stages in the entire Midwest region! Because of its history and special design, the Victory Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Today, the City of Evansville owns the Victory Theatre. It is managed together with The Ford Center by a company called VenuWorks.
