Moore Theatre
Entrance to the Moore Theatre in 2007
Address1932 2nd Ave
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
OwnerSeattle Theatre Group
Capacity1,800
Current usePerforming arts venue
Construction
OpenedDecember 28, 1907 (1907-12-28)[1]
ArchitectE. W. Houghton
Website
www.stgpresents.org
Moore Theatre and Hotel
Coordinates47°36′42.45″N 122°20′28.85″W / 47.6117917°N 122.3413472°W / 47.6117917; -122.3413472
NRHP reference No.74001958
Significant dates
Added to NRHPAugust 30, 1974
Designated SEATLOctober 16, 1989[2]
Interior of the Moore Theatre on the occasion of its 100th anniversary celebration in 2007
Moore Theatre program cover after 1907

Moore Theatre is an 1,800-seat performing arts venue in Seattle, Washington, United States, located two blocks away from Pike Place Market at the corner of 2nd Avenue and Virginia Street. It opened in 1907 and is Seattle's oldest active theater, hosting a variety of theatrical productions, concerts and lectures. The Moore is currently operated by the Seattle Theatre Group, which also runs the 2,803-seat Paramount Theatre and the Neptune Theatre.

History

Built for Seattle real estate developer James A. Moore and designed by E. W. Houghton,[3] the Moore Theatre functioned as a lavish social venue for the Gilded Age elite of early 20th-century Seattle. It opened in late 1907, in time for the originally planned date of the Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition which was ultimately postponed to 1909. The Moore Theatre and adjoining Moore Hotel were designed partly to accommodate and entertain tourists for this event.

The theater was initially operated by John Cort, later the founder of a major Broadway theatre venue in New York. Programming continued at the Moore through the 1930s, but changes in entertainment gradually led to it facing a struggle for survival by the 1970s. In 1975 it became the Moore Egyptian, with the lease being taken over by Dan Ireland and Darryl MacDonald. They added Egyptian to the title to link it to the many Egyptian Theaters in the U.S. and Canada and give the venue added sex appeal. There had previously been a Seattle Egyptian Theater on University Way (The Ave) in the University District.

Ireland and MacDonald transformed the theater into a movie palace; Dennis Nyback was the projectionist. The Moore Egyptian was the birthplace of the Seattle International Film Festival in 1976.[4] In 1981 the Moore's owners declined to renew their lease and moved to a Masonic Temple on Capitol Hill, taking the "Egyptian" name with them.[5]

The Moore Theatre and Hotel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[6] Since the 1980s, it has hosted touring musicians and theatrical productions. It currently seats about 1,800 people.[5]

The segregated entrance for Black patrons can be viewed around the corner from the main entrance.

The Moore Theatre is an example of the history of segregation in Seattle and the United States as the "colored entrance" for Black audience members restricted to the balcony remains viewable around the corner from the front entrance for white patrons.[7]

Architecture

Built of reinforced concrete (plus an enormous steel girder spanning the width of the house, carrying the weight of the balcony without the need for support columns)[8] and faced with a façade of white ceramic tile and terra-cotta, the theater is a mix of elements of the Byzantine and Italianate styles. Like most theaters, the exterior is relatively plain and stylistically neutral compared to the extravagant interior.

The staging area was the largest of any theater in Seattle, with an electrical system that was state-of-the-art for its time, and unusually numerous dressing rooms. Seating 2,436 in its original configuration, the Moore was one of the largest theatres in the U.S. at the time. The Moore was characterized by innovative architecture, luxurious materials, and sumptuous decor. The upper balcony, although well-appointed for its day, was originally racially segregated from the rest of the theater hall. It once had separate entrances, and to this day has a separate staircase connecting it to just inside the front door.

The Moore's architect, E. W. Houghton, also designed the Seeley Theatre in Pomeroy, Washington.[9] Like the Moore, the Seeley, which currently seats 270 people, features a steel girder supporting the balcony without the need for supporting columns.

Recorded performances

Notes

  1. ↑ "Moore Theatre and Hotel, Downtown, Seattle, WA (1907)". Pacific Coast Architecture Database. University of Washington. Archived from the original on December 28, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Landmarks and Designation". City of Seattle. Retrieved 2013-03-04.
  3. ↑ http://pcad.lib.washington.edu/person/1561/ E. W. Houghton
  4. ↑ Cline, John; Weiner, Robert G. & Gore, Chris (2010). From the Arthouse to the Grindhouse: Highbrow and Lowbrow Transgression in Cinema's First Century. Scarecrow Press. pp. 162–166 Chapter 12 Art and Grind in Seattle by Dennis Nyback. ISBN 9780810876545.
  5. 1 2 Flom 2002
  6. ↑ NRHP 2006
  7. ↑ Frishman, Richard (2020-11-30). "Hidden in Plain Sight: The Ghosts of Segregation". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
  8. ↑ Kreisman, L: "Made to Last," page 36. University of Washington Press, 1999
  9. ↑ "Pomeroy Historic District | Property Data: Ron's Electric/Flynn's Electric". historicpomeroy.com. Archived from the original on 2003-11-22.

References

  • Flom, Eric L. (2002-06-20), Moore Theatre (Seattle), HistoryLink.org, retrieved 2006-07-21.
  • NRHP (2006), WASHINGTON - King County, National Register of Historic Places, retrieved 2006-07-21. Link is to first of 5 pages. "Moore Theatre and Hotel" (added 1974) is on p. 3 of 5.
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