Coliseum Theater (Seattle)
The exterior features elaborate terra cotta work, and the original interior was comparably ornate. When it opened in the silent film era, it boasted a 7-piece orchestra plus an organist; the giant organ was made by Moller, and the musicians—all Russians—were reputed to be the highest-paid movie theater musicians in the country. Anita King attended the opening night to give a speech dedicating the theater.
The Coliseum continued as a first-run theater into the late 1970s, and continued to show films until 1990. It closed on March 11, 1990, after showing the film Tremors; the building was renovated into a 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m) Banana Republic clothing store that opened in 1994. The store closed in 2020 and is planned to be replaced by a temporary art space by XO Seattle in 2023.
References
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- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ "Landmarks and Designation". Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. Archived from the original on March 6, 2013. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
- ^ Flom, Eric L. (July 12, 2000). "Coliseum opens in Seattle on January 8, 1916". HistoryLink. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
- ^ "Landmarks Alphabetical Listing for C". Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
- ^ "Coliseum Theater". Seattle: A National Register of Historic Places Itinerary. National Park Service. Retrieved May 2, 2009.
- ^ Vansynghel, Margo (March 21, 2023). "Seattle's historic Coliseum Theater, old Banana Republic store to get new life". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- ^ Lilly, Dick (December 27, 1993). "'Re-retailing' of Seattle predicted". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
- ^ Eals, Clay (September 8, 2022). "Seattle's grand 1916 Coliseum Theater became a Banana Republic". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 28, 2023.