Coliseum Theater

CSWalczak on October 9, 2012 at 11:38 am

An exterior photo c. 1929 can be seen here.

Tinseltoes on June 20, 2012 at 7:33 am

The renovated auditorium was featured on the front cover of the September 1, 1951 issue of this trade journal: boxofficemagazine

rivest266 on January 20, 2012 at 4:23 pm

This opened on January 8th, 1916. Grand opening ad in photo section.

TLSLOEWS on December 27, 2009 at 5:03 pm

Did “JIMI HENDRiX” ever play there,he was from there.

CSWalczak on November 3, 2009 at 9:30 pm

A history of the Coliseum with pictures both of the theater and its architect can be found here:
View link

lostmemory on April 6, 2009 at 7:35 pm

A circa 1934 photo is on this website.

lostmemory on April 29, 2008 at 7:59 pm

Here is a circa 1920 photo of the theater organ.

lostmemory on April 28, 2008 at 11:42 am

This is an updated link for the 1916 photo posted by saps on Aug 3, 2007.

HowardBHaas on September 14, 2007 at 6:59 pm

Thanks for posting those photos! That really contributes to our understanding of the Coliseum, what it was, and what’s left.

rcflax on September 12, 2007 at 10:19 pm

Here is a link to the pictures I took in the Mezzanine and Balcony areas of the Theatre, that remain above the Banana Republic Store.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7934374@N05/

rcflax on September 4, 2007 at 10:36 pm

I Was in Seattle a couple of weeks ago and lucky enough to get a tour of the remaining intact parts of the Coliseum Theatre.

Accessible only through a hidden door, then up a small circular staircase one arrives at a door leading to a hallway that would have been the far left aisle leading to the landing which runs the width of the theatre between the mezzanine and the balcony.

There is no architectural detail left in the hallway, but high up on the walls of the auditorium some of the elaborate design elements remain.

The top half of the Proscenium arch remains and the detail work forming an elaborate design framing the arch is largely intact, except for the far left side which has crumbled. I was told it fell during an earthquake a number of years ago.

A false ceiling begins at the front of the mezzanine then covers what would have been the orchestra seating, and cuts the proscenium in half. The plaster relief of Dionysus at the apex of the arch still looks out over what remains of his theater. The area below the false ceiling is the Banana Republic Store.

There is a large empty area above and behind where the screen would have been in back of the arch. As I understand it, this theatre did not have a stage so this was possibly the organ loft, but from where I was it did look sort of like a Stage House.

The upper walls of the auditorium are pretty much intact although lower down you can see where much of the ornamentation was removed, leaving some painted areas (a really horrible green color)and some areas with patterns where plaster or woodwork were originally.

The main aisle that would have led from the upper lobby and main staircase (from under the balcony) is walled off. Behind this wall is the high vaulted ceiling of the main store entry area.

The cement risers from the front of the mezzanine to the back of the balcony, which held each row of seats are all intact but there are no seats left. Some of the original Brass from stair handrails is still in place.

The store has used a number of original plaster elements from the theatre in it’s interior design.

The original theatre safe, which had been on display in the store, was recently sold and removed.

This theatre had an elevator, which apparently went from the basement to the balcony. The steel sliding gates to the elevator are still in the basement.

Also in the basement are large rooms where I think that the air handling system and blowers might have been and the entrances to the caves under the seating areas for the return air are intact.

The most wonderful thing down there are the huge neon letters, which used to stand above the marquee and spelled the name of the theatre: COLISEUM. I remember those letters shining brightly in front of the theatre many years ago. Some of the letters are used in the store’s Christmas display each year.

The building has apparently been sold recently, but Banana Republic has a very long term lease so it does not appear that any changes will be made any time soon.

The exterior of the building is nearly perfect, although the front where the marquee would have been was altered a great deal when the store was built inside.

The carved words COLISEUM are still standing tall at the top of the building façade facing the street on each side, although tall trees block most views and if you didn’t know that the lettering was up there you could easily miss it.

I took a few pictures of what is left in the upper reaches of the theatre but don’t know how to post them to this site.

In the entrance to one of the dressing rooms in the main store are framed pictures of the original theatre.

I remember seeing some films at this theatre in the 50’s and 60’s and was so excited that at least a portion of this magnificent Movie Palace still exists.

lostmemory on August 3, 2007 at 11:17 am

Nice photo saps. That photo is dated February 1916 so that should narrow down the opening of the Coliseum Theater to January or February.