The Grand Opening of the Seattle Theater
A glittering, capacity crowd inaugurates the city's premier venue, setting a new standard for Pacific Coast entertainment.
The story, cleaned up
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The Seattle theater was dedicated to the drama last night by a memorable performance before as thoroughly representative an audience as ever assembled in the city. The house was finished according to promise, with the exception of some few details, and the performance went as smoothly as though artists, stage-hands and management were all as familiar with the building as though it had been in use for a year. Never did theater look gayer; every box was filled by a party of the city’s leading people, and every seat from floor to ceiling was occupied. Hon. John H. McGraw stepped on the stage and gave the dedicatory address, noting the importance of the drama in modern society. Following the speeches, the Duff Opera Company performed 'A Trip to Africa,' which was received with great enthusiasm. The theater's manager, John W. Hanna, expressed his satisfaction with the beginning made, as the house is considered the finest theater on the Pacific coast.
“Never did theater look gayer. The audience was as much worth going to see as the opera to hear.”
This theater was a point of immense civic pride in the 1890s, symbolizing Seattle's transition from a frontier town to a mature cultural hub. Today, Seattle’s historic performance venues continue to serve as the heart of the downtown social life, though they now face the modern pressures of rapid urban development and gentrification.
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