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| HISTORY | The
Pantages Playhouse has a long and rich history. We have compiled some
of the historical information and 'tales' about our
theatre's history, it's
architecture, it's founder,
Alexander Pantages
and it's architect,
B. Marcus Priteca. If you're a theatre-history buff, you may also be interested to know more about some of the other Pantages theatre around North America. Some have been demolished, some sit abandoned, others are being restored and some have been restored and are in use. Whatever their status, each has a unique story. Click here for a fascinating look at Pantages' theatres around North America (this page features many large graphics files)
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Historical Synopsis B. Marcus Pretica – one of three outstanding theatre designers in North America – designed the Pantages Theatre. J.E. Dolen, the finest muralist in North America at the time, was responsible for designing the lavish interior that was described as a symphony of green, gold and ivory. The Winnipeg Pantages Theatre was built in 1913 and was officially opened 9 February 1914, during the heyday of vaudeville. Ticket prices were 10¢ and 35¢ with 3 shows a day, 7 days a week. Normally, there were 6 new acts a week and a typical day’s bill would include a juggler, a song and dance team, an animal act, a comedy skit, a novelty of some sort, and a short film. The acts would arrive by train directly behind the theatre in time for the 9:00 a.m. stage opening. Rehearsal began at 10:30 a.m. and the performers and house orchestra would be busy getting their numbers co-ordinated for the 2:30 p.m. matinee. After the afternoon show, the orchestra of eight were paid in the manager’s office. The Pantages Theatre was specially designed in order to provide maximum speed in changing audiences. Between the balcony and main floor there is a mezzanine for this purpose. Originally, this was a tearoom for patrons waiting for the next show. At the very front of the balcony, there is a special seating section, which used to be referred to as the “diamond horseshoe”. Modelled after the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, it was a place where wealthy women could sit and show off their jewels. While in its vaudeville days, the building had been one of the focal points for the Pantages chain. It was once the producing centre for the entire circuit. Before heading west, the order of the acts was determined in Winnipeg. Citizens of the city took great pride in the fact that they were a discriminating enough audience to affect what was seen in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle. Of the 75 theatres once found in Pantages’ chain, Winnipeg’s is one of the few that have survived. The theatre flourished until June 1923, when the chain moved to the Capitol Theatre. During this period, the Pantages Theatre played host to the best and worst of vaudeville. Among those who appeared were Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, Houdini and Felix, the Mind Reading Duck. The last vaudeville show in the Pantages Theatre was on Saturday, June 23, 1923. On October 8, 1923, the Pantages was renamed the Playhouse and began to feature live theatre. This venture was not entirely successful and the theatre reverted to a format of vaudeville, tabloid musicals and motion pictures. In the early 1930s, before the construction of Winnipeg’s Civic Auditorium, A.K. Gee’s Celebrity Concert series operated through the Playhouse. These concerts featured some of the most outstanding classical musicians of the time, including Vladimir Horowitz, Paul Robeson, Lawrence Tibbet and Jascha Heifitz. In June 1940, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet made its premier performance on the Pantages stage. The company danced in the Playhouse until the Manitoba Centennial Concert Hall was constructed in 1967. The City of Winnipeg acquired the Playhouse Theatre during the depression. In 1943, the City Finance Committee recommended that the City sell the Playhouse. The new owner intended to use the building for vaudeville and motion pictures. This promise did not materialize and, in 1945, the Playhouse was again city property when it was seized for taxes. It was during the post-war period that the Theatre began to address the needs of Winnipeg’s vibrant performing arts community. Amateur theatre made its home in the building in 1948. From this time, until 1956, the Playhouse was the base of operations for many productions. The Manitoba Theatre Centre was to emerge from these efforts in 1956. As much as drama has been an important part of the Playhouse, so has music. From the classical performers of the thirties to the pop bands of today, the building has soaked up a lot of sounds. Jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald, along with Buddy Rich, Ray Brown, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie and Stefan Grappelli have all played in the hall, as have popular music stars such as Ann Murray, Elvis Costello, Duran Duran and the Guess Who. The list is endless. During the early 1980s, the City repainted the auditorium of the theatre and replaced both the seating and draperies with newer seating and draperies salvaged from a cinema that was being demolished. In 1993, under a tripartite agreement with the Province and the Federal Governments, the City of Winnipeg acquired the Main Street frontage and added a new entrance and lobby to the theatre. In addition, some backstage improvements were made that improved the technical operation of the facility. In the mid-90s, the City of Winnipeg identified the Pantages Playhouse Theatre as one of the areas that the City could find cost savings. The administration was asked to prepare a proposal to dispose of the facility. Several performing arts organizations formed the Performing Arts Consortium of Winnipeg and proposed to manage the Theatre on the City’s behalf. This organization (the Performing Arts Consortium of Winnipeg, Inc.) assumed responsibility for the management of the theatre in February of 1998. The Consortium is now preparing to undertake to restore the theatre to its original appearance and to upgrade the technical components of the theatre. Winnipeg’s Pantages Playhouse Theatre is one of the few remaining theatres of its calibre from the turn of the century in North America. Designated as an historic site, this restoration must adhere to the strict standards set out in National, Provincial and Civic guidelines and regulations. When completed, the Pantages Playhouse Theatre will be a national treasure. |
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Architecture The Pantages Playhouse Theatre, with its particularly lavish interior, was the finest ever built in Winnipeg. Constructed in 1913-14 to designs of architects George W. Northwood and B. Marcus Priteca, it originally presented live theatrical, musical and vaudeville performances. The Pantages Company, a major American vaudeville chain, built numerous similar theatres of this type in Canada. Vaudeville theatres of this type, constructed between 1913 and 1930, were among the grandest ever built in Canada, but few survive today. Early newspaper accounts provide detailed descriptions of the interior of the theatre. The Winnipeg Free Press (Saturday, January 24, 1914) contained the following article: The general description of the Pantages theatre would be incomplete without special reference to the furnishings and draperies. The proscenium drop curtain, the most striking feature of the decorative scheme, is a heavy, rich, dull gold colour velvet. The curtain is in harmony -- is in fact, the article that furnishes the keynote for the entire decoration scheme. The only decoration on the curtain is the embossed monogram in gold. The general draperies, also kept to a plain simplicity of detail, are of the same cloth, of lighter weight. These draperies were all woven specially in extra widths for this purpose, specially coloured, and were imported, supplied and installed by the Hudson’s Bay company. The draperies and fittings of the ladies retiring room and lounging rooms in various parts of the building are also unique in character. The main motive in designing for these rooms was that of comfort. The furniture is supplied with special loose covers of loose linen. The carpeting of the Pantages was the largest single contract of its kind that has been executed locally, that is, for single carpets of their size. The entire auditorium is an unbroken stretch of soft, heavy Wilton in green, laid over special mats. The carpeting was also supplied by the Hudson’s Bay company. The theatre is seated in plush covered chairs which are large and roomy, in wide rows. These are green, matching the carpet and the whole theatre is a symphony of ivory, gold and green.
(In early theatres, such as the Pantages Playhouse Theatre, it was not unusual to have a solid colour carpet. This use of plain carpets soon gave way to more elaborate carpets, either in keeping with the increase in elaborate decorating of the theatres themselves or for the more practical reason that a patterned carpet does not show wear marks or stains the way a plain carpet will.) Several other accounts from this period describe the interior of the Pantages Playhouse Theatre. One notes that the wood throughout the building is mahogany. Another describes the mezzanine level in the original theatre. It states:
The Winnipeg Pantages was specially designed in order to provide maximum speed in changing audiences. Between the balcony and the main floor there is a mezzanine. Originally, this was a tea room for patrons waiting for the next show. At the very front of the balcony there is a special seating section, which used to be referred to as the “diamond horseshoe”. Modeled after the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, it was a place where wealthy women could sit and show off their jewels. Over the years, the interior has been repainted, while the original draperies and seats have been removed and replaced with draperies and seats salvaged from other theatres and movie houses in Winnipeg. As a result, the interior of the Pantages Playhouse Theatre bears little or no resemblance to the description of the original theatre. The Performing Arts Consortium is committed to upgrading the theatre, including the restoration of the original lobby and auditorium. Historic Restoration - Interior Colours The original interior decoration of the Pantages Playhouse Theatre was the work of J.E. Dolen, a painter and muralist who acquired an international reputation for his outstanding work. As a part of a conservation study, Hannivan & Company conducted an on-site investigation of the Pantages Playhouse Theatre. Their investigation revealed a monochromatic colour scheme of what would now be referred to as cream, straw, tan and khaki. The on-site investigation also revealed extensive use of glazing and of silver and gold leaf to highlight mouldings and ornamentation. The purpose of glazing over painted interiors is to give an aged, mellow appearance to buildings designed in the classical architectural style. Glazing has the effect of enhancing the architectural form and decorative detailing, as well as creating an ambience of age and history. The theatres built in North America from about 1910 to 1930 were usually decorated with glazed finishes as part of the theatre palace illusion. Gold and silver leaf was also used throughout the Pantages Playhouse Theatre to highlight the mouldings and ornamentation. The play of light on the gold and silver leaf not only gave the Theatre a jewelled effect, but also aided in enhancing the quality of lighting. Stencils During the Hannivan & Company on-site investigation it was discovered that the sidewalls of the auditorium, the rear wall of the promenade and the long wall of the acoustic balcony were stencilled with a two-coloured damask pattern thus tying the vast space together. A second stencil, a cartouche design laid out in a chain link repeat pattern, was found on the coved ceiling of the acoustic balcony. Seating Like the draperies, original seating could not be located in the theatre. The only source that Hannivan & Company can draw from is the press release in the Winnipeg Free Press. The two references the seating are as follows: “The orchestra chairs are built in heavy mahogany frames and upholstered in green plush” and “The theatre is seated in plush covered chairs which are large and roomy. These are green, matching the carpet.” This picture, at right, could have been what the original seats would have looked like (different upholstery). Click the picture for a larger version. Lighting
The original press release contained in the Winnipeg Free Press notes that over 3,000 light bulbs were used in the Pantages Playhouse Theatre. The lighting in the auditorium is rather unique when compared to other theatres built during this era. The standard formula used at that time for auditorium lighting in most theatres was a large chandelier, sidewall sconces, and basic ceiling mounted fixtures on the underside of the balcony and in passageways. The main lighting source for the auditorium in the Pantages Playhouse Theatre was a series of square, recessed lighting units with brass frames and frosted glass spaced evenly apart at the proscenium arch and the underside perimeter rim of the cove ceilings. This lighting, along with the up lighting at the cove rim, provided a wonderful ambient atmosphere in the theatre. Also, across the face of the balconies and boxes is a series of circular recessed lighting fixtures (resembling the portholes of a ship). It is unlikely that the glass in these fixtures is original. Usually fixtures of this type would have caramel glass. The brass torch sconces located on auditorium side of the promenade columns and in the original lobby appear to be originals, reflecting the design of the torch incorporated in the mask above the proscenium. None of the ceiling mounted fixtures in the theatre appear to be original, including the chandeliers in the original lobby. Based on the torch sconces in the lobby it is likely that the central chandelier would also reflect the torch motif. Special Areas Several ancillary spaces within the theatre serve patrons. These include the original lobby, sometimes referred to as the Rotunda, the Mezzanine level and the lounges off the washrooms. Rotunda Although relatively small for a theatre of its size, the original Rotunda is richly ornamented and contains some of the most elaborate plasterwork found in the Pantages Playhouse Theatre. The on-site investigation of the ceiling, conducted by Hannivan & Company, indicated that the palette used in this space is the same as that used in the auditorium. The ceiling and upper walls were elaborately painted and extensively gilded, creating a stellar first impression. The investigation also revealed that marble on the lower walls of the rotunda has been stained with a natural colourfast pigment. The original marble had more grey tones and less mustard. Although it is difficult to tell if the marble was original to the structure, it is the opinion of Hannivan & Co. that it was added later. The doors in Rotunda were stained with a transparent wood stain in a mahogany tone. Mezzanine The Mezzanine Level originally served as a Tearoom where patrons could listen to the music while leisurely waiting to take their seat. This area, when restored, would be ideal for pre- and post-performance receptions. It would also be a suitable area to establish a patron bar during intermission. Lounges An elegantly appointed waiting area for ladies and a smoking lounge for gentlemen were situated off the Mezzanine. Each of these areas had an attached washroom. New Lobby Features
The Pantages is a reflection of the city. Winnipeg’s politics, its values and its people have shaped the Theatre. It has managed to survive where other theatres have not. Alexander Pantages’ policy of “something for everyone” has held true for more than ninety years by providing a cultural touchstone for the people of Winnipeg. The Performing Arts Consortium is proud to be a part of its history. |
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Alexander Pantages The Pantages Playhouse Theatre was built by Alexander Pantages to be the hub of the Vaudeville chain he ran in Canada and the United States. While the Theatre has had a colourful history, Alexander Pantages was an interesting character in his own right. The future theatre tycoon, was born Pericles Pantages on the small Greek Island of Andros in 1872, the son of a poor merchant. Young Pericles aspired to greater things and he started calling himself Alexander after he was told the story of Alexander the Great. In search of a better lot in life, he ran away from home at the age of nine and set sail as a cabin boy on an understaffed French steamer. Shipmates tossed him overboard in Panama after he had contracted malaria. By 1885, he had worked his way north to San Francisco where he worked as an usher in the local playhouse. Pantages was loured by the Alaska Gold Rush - and the money to be made off the newly wealthy prospectors. The story goes that Pantages arrived in Skagway with 25¢ and his mukluks wrapped in a copy of the Seattle Post. He was immediately offered $5 for the paper, but a moment later, somebody offered him $10. Pantages did not sell – instead he hired a hall and - since, by his own admission, he could read “very little much more than my very own name” - someone to read the paper aloud. Three hundred and fifty people attended, each of them paying one-dollar admission. In Dawson City, Pantages met Klondike Kate Rockwell. He soon gained her confidence, took up residence with her and, it is said, that they even talked of marriage. In 1902, with the Gold Rush winding down, Pantages moved to Seattle while Kate stayed in Alaska on the promise to join him later. Using Kate’s money, he opened the Lois Theatre. Unbeknownst to Kate, Pantages met and married Lois Mendenhall while she was still in Alaska. By 1926, Pantages owned thirty theatres outright and had controlling shares in forty-two others. At the peak of his vaudeville circuit empire, his net worth was estimated to be about $50 million (U.S.D.). Like so many before and after him, Pantages did not achieve his great success without also acquiring a few enemies along the way. In 1929, a Miss Eunice Pringle accused Pantages of rape. He was convicted, but the ruling was overturned on appeal. It has been suggested that the alleged rape was a frame-up by a third party. At about this time one of the major movie companies aggressively tried to put the Pantages chain out of business. One of the owners of the RKO Company was said to be angry with Alexander Pantages for playing around with one of his mistresses. The final blow came to Pantages’ when his beloved wife Lois was convicted of manslaughter resulting from drunken driving. Pantages died in Los Angeles in February of 1936. |
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HISTORY
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B. Marcus Priteca information courtesy the Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society Benjamin Marcus Priteca was born and raised in Scotland. He moved to the United States at a young age, and settled in Seattle after becoming an architect. He is widely regarded as one of the great theater architects in the United States, though he considered himself "just an old vaudeville architect." As such, Priteca was a devotee of the old-style theater interior--graceful curving balconies, sloping floors and good sight lines. "Seeing is hearing," he said, in partial explanation of his acoustical talents. Priteca designed sixty major theaters and did many more minor theater jobs in cities from Vancouver, British Columbia and Winnipeg, Manitoba to Memphis, Tennessee and Los Angeles, California. He designed such theater as the Pantages Theater in Tacoma, Washington, Pantages Theater in Seattle, the Coliseum Theatre in Seattle, the Mercy (Capitol) Theatre in Yakima, and the Hollywood Pantages in Los Angeles, where the Academy Awards were held for many years. Many of his most striking theaters still stand today, including the Pantages (Warnor's) Theatre in Fresno.
Priteca was
the personal architect to theater magnate Alexander Pantages, and designed
all of Pantages' theaters between 1910 and 1929.
After the
silent movie era, Priteca designed several Art Deco houses including the
1942 nautical-theme Admiral Theatre on California Avenue SW in West Seattle.
The Admiral was built on the site of the old Portola Theatre. This photo
shows the front of the Admiral Theater in 1946. Moviegoers could see the
main feature, "My Gal Sal," along with a newsreel on atomic power. The
atomic bomb had ended World War II the year before.
Priteca
designed more than 150 theaters in all, and he served as a consultant on the
Seattle Opera House. He also worked on several synagogues and Longacres
Race Track. |
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