Warren, you might get some good professional candidates if you advertise with the International Association of Assembly Managers and with the League of Historic Theatres. They have job listings for professional theatre managers. Good luck
To put it bluntly, this theatre is wretched. Dreadful. Why do the people of Nac put up with this horrible box when they could renovate the Main and have a truly classy place to see films?
Great photo, Los Memory. I’ve taken a few, too, but none better than yours.
My mother and her neighbors tell me that an interested buyer of this theatre was thwarted by the Goodwill store that is located in the same building. Something about how the Goodwill Industries did not want to vacate its lease??? Anyway, apparently someone wanted to buy the building and turn the theatre into a dinner theatre, but was unable to do so due to these complications.
many symphony orchestra musicians who play larger instruments store their harps, basses, and (as you mention) tympani and other percussion instruments in the theatre — not to mention pianos that might belong to the organization. A good string bass can cost several thousand dollars; who knows how much a harp or a 9' grand piano might cost? “Hundred of thousands of dollars” doesn’t sound that far off, if you think of a couple of harps, basses, and maybe a piano or two.
Does anyone remember the reports from a couple of years ago, when Houston flooded due to heavy rains, and Jones Hall’s basement flooded, destroying pianos and a library of music and other valuable documents?
Any updates on what’s happening with the Saenger? I never played there, but I played the Mahalia Jackson thatre —– a graceless concrete ‘70’s civic hall, in Louis Armstrong Park. A visit to a googlemaps site in september showed that the hall had at least 4’ of water. While I can’t really care as much about the Mahalia Jackson as I do about an architectural gem like the Saenger, I do know that the two stagehands who worked for me, Kiki and John, normally worked at the Saenger. What will happen to the livelihoods of people like these guys? What is going on?
I believe a proctor is an academic official, for Paulb, who wondered what a proctor was. Although, of course, it was the gentleman’s name.
I played the Proctors Theatre during the ‘80’s. mpetersen, perhaps you worked on my show, I don’t know. All I know it that at that time it was rather a miserable place to play. I hope the renovations make it a nicer place to work, while still preserving the historical value.
As a preservationist, I have to applaud efforts to save theatres like this in small cities.
However, as a touring stagehand, I have to say that during my touring years, this theatre was the most hated and reviled theatre of me and my colleagues!!!
With the caveat that my memories date from the ‘80’s, and if a financial miracle in the town of Utica has ocurred since then and changed things, please forgive me. But, in my recollection, it has an incredibly difficult load-in. A show parks its truck on the street behind the theatre. A door opening onto the street is, in fact, some ten to twelve feet above the stage door. All equipment must be lowered to the stage floor by a winch through this door.
I recall going up to the spotlight (projection) booth at the start of the show in the evening. By the time I had reached the booth, climbing up the various stairways and holding onto the handrails, my hands, which were clean when I entered the building, would be dirty by the time I entered to booth.
This was a miserable place to play during the 80’s. I hope it has changed since then, but I sincerely doubt it.
Cascadekid is right, the Moore Hotel has a swimming pool in the basement.
In addition to showing films, the Moore was Seattle’s touring house for legit theatre for some time, before the 5th AVenue and the Paramount were renovated and got into that business. The Moore is —– or was, in the 80’s & 90’s when I knew it —– a “hemp” house, meaning it used a ropes-and-sandbags flying system instead of a system using steel counterweights to raise and lower the curtains. At one point in the mid ‘80’s, a touring show —– was it “Elephant Man?” —– came through whose sets and lighting overtaxed the capacity of the flyrail. During the load-out, a substantial chunk of the flyrail was pulled out from an unbalanced load.
I know someone who claims the theatre is haunted; a former maintenance man told me there were scarey things that happened at night. Another person I know related a tale that he was working on the fly floor on one side of the stage, and looked across to the other side of the stage and saw someone looking at him. The apparition then turned and walked away —– only it walked through the brick wall and disappeared. OTOH, this was the 70’s and 80’s and my friend was tired and may have been chemically enhanced.
The Egyptian-style decor in this theatre is not authentic, but was created during the early ‘80’s remodel, and, I believe, was intended to be evocative of the “Egyptian” identity of the presenters’ Moore-Egyptian. It is actually very tasteful and works well for the purpose, but I do not think it has anything to do with the original decor of the old Masonic Temple.
I just went in this theatre the other day, into the Swap Meet. You can still see some ornamental plaster on the ceiling. It’s pretty modest, but you can still see it, and you can tell that the back wall is a “stage” area.
When I first came to Los Angeles, one of my first jobs was working as a stagehand running a followspot for Riverdance at the Pantages. What an incredible building! My spot was mounted on a vertical tower set just in front of the proscenium. It was really something to be sitting up on top of a piece of steel so close to the plaster.
This is an incredible theatre. I remember how magnificent the lobby was! When we ran control cable for the PA system, I was sent down into the plenum below the seats to run the cable. Found several old theatre programs down in there, from other Nederlander shows.
In later years I sat in the audience for “The Producers”, and was just in awe of my surroundings.
Just idle curiosity —– is this the Pantages in the lyrics of the Ricky Lee Jones song?
God knows there are plenty of Pantages theatres on the west coast, but I am assuming she meant the Hollywood one in the song.
I remember the first time I ever saw this theatre, which was probably in 1973 or 74. I was totally amazed! I think of how many beautiful theatres I’ve worked in or seen since, and how my interest in them has endured. What a great first glimpse!
I may be wrong — Dave-bronx, maybe you can let me know —– but I believe this is the theatre that in the mid-late 70’s had a brief incarnation as the Entermedia. I worked there for a Dance-umbrella series in the spring of either 78 or 77. It felt as if we were the first production to be there in years.
“Shouldn’t this be listed as being located in Westwood, not Los Angeles?”
Westwood is a neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles. The Crest is south of Wilshire, which distinguishes it from being in the part of Westwood called the village, where many of the fine premiere houses are located, like the Mann Village and the Bruin.
I can’t provide much detailed info, but I, too, recall going to the Agora nightclub during the early 70’s, and loving the slightly down at heel once-magnificent interior. I think the sound console was installed in a box seat on house right. I also recall a balcony.
This is a beautiful theatre. I played here in the ‘80’s after its first remodel, and subsequently in the late 90’s with “Miss Saigon” after a much more comprehensive remodel.
What a stunningly beautiful theatre!
This theatre has a second balcony accessed by a separate stairway, orginally intended for segregated audiences.
The stage backs into two other theatres of the same vintage that were in the midst of remodeling while I was there. I don’t remember their names and I’m not familiar with San Antonio geography, so I can’t guess by the street numbers of other theatres. Perhaps the Texas is one?
The Prytania is featured in John Kennedy Toole’s “Confederacy of Dunces” as the theatre frequented by the anti-hero Ignatius J. Reilly so that he can rant at the horrors of bad taste shown in the films.
I attended movies as a child here. It was the kind of theatre parents would drop their kids off at while they shopped. I remember that a half-eaten lollipop had been thrown up to the valence over the screen, and hung down there, for at least a whole summer.
I saw movies at the Paramount as a child; of all the theatres my parents took me to, this was the one I loved the best for its ornate loveliness. The approach to it is wonderful, with the river right there to see. During the ‘80’s I traveled with a theatre company that played this hall after it’s renovation. It’s still a wonderful building.
Warren, you might get some good professional candidates if you advertise with the International Association of Assembly Managers and with the League of Historic Theatres. They have job listings for professional theatre managers. Good luck
Hi, Mr. Faust. Well, I’m very glad to hear of positive changes at the Stanley.
Hmm… ITEA Local One, eh? Fascinating. Their website is…interesting.
To put it bluntly, this theatre is wretched. Dreadful. Why do the people of Nac put up with this horrible box when they could renovate the Main and have a truly classy place to see films?
Great photo, Los Memory. I’ve taken a few, too, but none better than yours.
My mother and her neighbors tell me that an interested buyer of this theatre was thwarted by the Goodwill store that is located in the same building. Something about how the Goodwill Industries did not want to vacate its lease??? Anyway, apparently someone wanted to buy the building and turn the theatre into a dinner theatre, but was unable to do so due to these complications.
A real shame. I love this theatre.
I think this is the drive in south of town on 59. I see it when I come visit my mom, who lives in Nac.
Ahem indeed.
many symphony orchestra musicians who play larger instruments store their harps, basses, and (as you mention) tympani and other percussion instruments in the theatre — not to mention pianos that might belong to the organization. A good string bass can cost several thousand dollars; who knows how much a harp or a 9' grand piano might cost? “Hundred of thousands of dollars” doesn’t sound that far off, if you think of a couple of harps, basses, and maybe a piano or two.
Does anyone remember the reports from a couple of years ago, when Houston flooded due to heavy rains, and Jones Hall’s basement flooded, destroying pianos and a library of music and other valuable documents?
Any updates on what’s happening with the Saenger? I never played there, but I played the Mahalia Jackson thatre —– a graceless concrete ‘70’s civic hall, in Louis Armstrong Park. A visit to a googlemaps site in september showed that the hall had at least 4’ of water. While I can’t really care as much about the Mahalia Jackson as I do about an architectural gem like the Saenger, I do know that the two stagehands who worked for me, Kiki and John, normally worked at the Saenger. What will happen to the livelihoods of people like these guys? What is going on?
Thank you, Gerald. A wonderful book, one that everyone who is interested in this incredible city should read.
This is an incredibly beautiful theatre! I played here in the early ‘80’s with some touring bus and truck shows.
I believe a proctor is an academic official, for Paulb, who wondered what a proctor was. Although, of course, it was the gentleman’s name.
I played the Proctors Theatre during the ‘80’s. mpetersen, perhaps you worked on my show, I don’t know. All I know it that at that time it was rather a miserable place to play. I hope the renovations make it a nicer place to work, while still preserving the historical value.
No, it hasn’t changed. From the CYNArts website:
Loading Door:
Upstage Right Back Wall.
Height’ 9’ Width 8’.
Loading door is at street level which is 13’ above stage level.
There is a block and tackle with an electrical mule
(capacity 2,000 lb). Tractor Trailers may park on sidewalk behind the stage house to load and unload.
Sigh.
As a preservationist, I have to applaud efforts to save theatres like this in small cities.
However, as a touring stagehand, I have to say that during my touring years, this theatre was the most hated and reviled theatre of me and my colleagues!!!
With the caveat that my memories date from the ‘80’s, and if a financial miracle in the town of Utica has ocurred since then and changed things, please forgive me. But, in my recollection, it has an incredibly difficult load-in. A show parks its truck on the street behind the theatre. A door opening onto the street is, in fact, some ten to twelve feet above the stage door. All equipment must be lowered to the stage floor by a winch through this door.
I recall going up to the spotlight (projection) booth at the start of the show in the evening. By the time I had reached the booth, climbing up the various stairways and holding onto the handrails, my hands, which were clean when I entered the building, would be dirty by the time I entered to booth.
This was a miserable place to play during the 80’s. I hope it has changed since then, but I sincerely doubt it.
Cascadekid is right, the Moore Hotel has a swimming pool in the basement.
In addition to showing films, the Moore was Seattle’s touring house for legit theatre for some time, before the 5th AVenue and the Paramount were renovated and got into that business. The Moore is —– or was, in the 80’s & 90’s when I knew it —– a “hemp” house, meaning it used a ropes-and-sandbags flying system instead of a system using steel counterweights to raise and lower the curtains. At one point in the mid ‘80’s, a touring show —– was it “Elephant Man?” —– came through whose sets and lighting overtaxed the capacity of the flyrail. During the load-out, a substantial chunk of the flyrail was pulled out from an unbalanced load.
I know someone who claims the theatre is haunted; a former maintenance man told me there were scarey things that happened at night. Another person I know related a tale that he was working on the fly floor on one side of the stage, and looked across to the other side of the stage and saw someone looking at him. The apparition then turned and walked away —– only it walked through the brick wall and disappeared. OTOH, this was the 70’s and 80’s and my friend was tired and may have been chemically enhanced.
The Egyptian-style decor in this theatre is not authentic, but was created during the early ‘80’s remodel, and, I believe, was intended to be evocative of the “Egyptian” identity of the presenters’ Moore-Egyptian. It is actually very tasteful and works well for the purpose, but I do not think it has anything to do with the original decor of the old Masonic Temple.
It’s a good place to see films, however.
This theatre was around the corner from the first place I lived when I moved to Seattle. I loved the marquee!
I just went in this theatre the other day, into the Swap Meet. You can still see some ornamental plaster on the ceiling. It’s pretty modest, but you can still see it, and you can tell that the back wall is a “stage” area.
When I first came to Los Angeles, one of my first jobs was working as a stagehand running a followspot for Riverdance at the Pantages. What an incredible building! My spot was mounted on a vertical tower set just in front of the proscenium. It was really something to be sitting up on top of a piece of steel so close to the plaster.
This is an incredible theatre. I remember how magnificent the lobby was! When we ran control cable for the PA system, I was sent down into the plenum below the seats to run the cable. Found several old theatre programs down in there, from other Nederlander shows.
In later years I sat in the audience for “The Producers”, and was just in awe of my surroundings.
Just idle curiosity —– is this the Pantages in the lyrics of the Ricky Lee Jones song?
God knows there are plenty of Pantages theatres on the west coast, but I am assuming she meant the Hollywood one in the song.
I remember the first time I ever saw this theatre, which was probably in 1973 or 74. I was totally amazed! I think of how many beautiful theatres I’ve worked in or seen since, and how my interest in them has endured. What a great first glimpse!
I may be wrong — Dave-bronx, maybe you can let me know —– but I believe this is the theatre that in the mid-late 70’s had a brief incarnation as the Entermedia. I worked there for a Dance-umbrella series in the spring of either 78 or 77. It felt as if we were the first production to be there in years.
“Shouldn’t this be listed as being located in Westwood, not Los Angeles?”
Westwood is a neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles. The Crest is south of Wilshire, which distinguishes it from being in the part of Westwood called the village, where many of the fine premiere houses are located, like the Mann Village and the Bruin.
I can’t provide much detailed info, but I, too, recall going to the Agora nightclub during the early 70’s, and loving the slightly down at heel once-magnificent interior. I think the sound console was installed in a box seat on house right. I also recall a balcony.
This is a beautiful theatre. I played here in the ‘80’s after its first remodel, and subsequently in the late 90’s with “Miss Saigon” after a much more comprehensive remodel.
What a stunningly beautiful theatre!
This theatre has a second balcony accessed by a separate stairway, orginally intended for segregated audiences.
The stage backs into two other theatres of the same vintage that were in the midst of remodeling while I was there. I don’t remember their names and I’m not familiar with San Antonio geography, so I can’t guess by the street numbers of other theatres. Perhaps the Texas is one?
The Prytania is featured in John Kennedy Toole’s “Confederacy of Dunces” as the theatre frequented by the anti-hero Ignatius J. Reilly so that he can rant at the horrors of bad taste shown in the films.
I attended movies as a child here. It was the kind of theatre parents would drop their kids off at while they shopped. I remember that a half-eaten lollipop had been thrown up to the valence over the screen, and hung down there, for at least a whole summer.
I saw movies at the Paramount as a child; of all the theatres my parents took me to, this was the one I loved the best for its ornate loveliness. The approach to it is wonderful, with the river right there to see. During the ‘80’s I traveled with a theatre company that played this hall after it’s renovation. It’s still a wonderful building.