5th Avenue Theatre
A historic Seattle theatre and nonprofit musical-theatre institution known for Broadway touring productions, original musicals, and developmental work on shows bound for larger stages.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
5th Avenue Theatre is a historic performing-arts venue in downtown Seattle, Washington, located within the Skinner Building on Fifth Avenue. Opened in 1926, it was conceived during Seattle's expansion as a combined motion-picture and live-entertainment palace. The theatre was developed by Pacific Northwest Theatres, whose president and general manager, Harry C. Arthur, viewed Seattle as an important long-term market for cinema and theatrical entertainment. Construction began in October 1925 and was completed in approximately eleven months at a reported cost of $1.5 million. The building was designed by Robert C. Reamer, with contributions from Joseph Skoog and Gustav Liljestrom. Its exterior is integrated into the Skinner Building, while the auditorium and public spaces use an elaborate Chinese-inspired decorative vocabulary. The interior includes painted and molded architectural details, imperial dragons, phoenixes, floral motifs, guardian lions, a large octagonal ceiling caisson, and a chandelier suspended from a sculpted dragon. The theatre has often been described as one of the most substantial examples of Chinese-influenced theatrical architecture outside Asia. The Skinner Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The venue opened on September 24, 1926, with a program combining the silent film Young April, a Fanchon and Marco stage presentation called The Night Club, and a performance by Lipschultz and his Syncopated Soloists. The opening celebration became a major downtown event, with streets closed around the theatre and a large public gathering. During its early decades, the building presented vaudeville and films, eventually functioning primarily as a movie palace as vaudeville declined. By the 1970s, changing entertainment habits, television, suburban multiplexes, and economic pressures had weakened attendance. The theatre closed in 1978, and proposals for reuse included a restaurant, a triplex cinema, offices, and retail development. A group of 43 Seattle business leaders formed the nonprofit 5th Avenue Theatre Association in 1979 and backed a $2.6 million loan to preserve the venue. Architect Richard McCann led the restoration. The work updated technical systems, reconstructed seating and the orchestra pit, moved dressing rooms, and prepared the building for live performance while retaining much of the historic interior fabric. The restored theatre reopened in 1980. Helen Hayes participated in the grand-opening gala, and the venue began its renewed life as a Broadway touring house with Annie, which played 77 performances during a ten-week engagement. In 1989, the 5th Avenue Musical Theatre Company was established as the resident nonprofit producing organization. The theatre subsequently developed a hybrid model combining national Broadway tours, locally produced revivals, new musicals, special events, education, and community outreach. The 5th has become particularly associated with the development of new musicals before or during their transition to Broadway. Productions associated with its developmental reputation include Jekyll & Hyde, Hairspray, The Wedding Singer, and Aladdin. Its subscription programming generally includes six or seven productions in a season, with a mix of revivals, original works, and touring shows. The organization also operates educational and outreach programs serving students, performers, and audiences, reportedly reaching more than 61,000 participants annually. The theatre sustained limited damage in the February 2001 Nisqually earthquake. Repairs included replacing 72 plaster ceiling supports, repairing decorative plaster and cracks, lowering chandeliers for maintenance, and incorporating seismic upgrades to the Skinner Building. A new vertical marquee was installed in November 2009, using an energy-saving LED design inspired by earlier signage. Today, the 2,130-seat theatre operates as a nonprofit institution supported by ticket income, subscriptions, individual and corporate donations, government sources, volunteers, and educational activity. The land and building are owned by the University of Washington, while programming is operated by the 5th Avenue Theatre Association.
History
The 5th Avenue Theatre was developed as part of Seattle's downtown growth in the 1920s. Harry C. Arthur, president and general manager of Pacific Northwest Theatres, believed the city would become increasingly important to the motion-picture business and supported construction of a large theatre within the Skinner Building. The project was connected to the Metropolitan Tract, land associated with the University of Washington's earlier campus and later owned by the university. Robert C. Reamer designed the building and theatre, working with Joseph Skoog and Gustav Liljestrom on the elaborate Chinese-inspired interiors. Construction began in October 1925 and lasted about eleven months. The theatre opened on September 24, 1926, with a combined film and live program. Its opening featured the silent film Young April, Fanchon and Marco's The Night Club, and Lipschultz and his Syncopated Soloists. The opening festivities transformed several downtown blocks into a public celebration, with traffic diversions, lights, music, and large crowds. The building originally seated approximately 3,000 people and included a grand lobby, mezzanine facilities, an ascending orchestra pit, an independently operated Wurlitzer organ platform, and an advanced ventilation system. Architecturally, the venue is distinguished by its imitation of Chinese timber architecture. Dragons, phoenixes, guardian lions, flowers, painted beams, plaster brackets, cloud forms, and a large ceiling caisson dominate the public spaces and auditorium. The design was based partly on published accounts and illustrations of Chinese architecture rather than on a single building. The result has been recognized as an unusually ambitious example of Chinese-influenced theatre design in the United States. The Skinner Building entered the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. For much of its first half-century, the theatre presented vaudeville and motion pictures, later becoming principally a movie palace. Its fortunes declined as vaudeville disappeared, television expanded, and suburban multiplexes drew audiences away from downtown cinemas. The theatre closed in 1978, and its future became uncertain. Potential conversions included a Chinese restaurant, a smaller multi-screen cinema, offices, or retail space. Preservation efforts succeeded in 1979 when 43 local business leaders formed the nonprofit 5th Avenue Theatre Association and supported a $2.6 million loan. Richard McCann oversaw restoration. The project modernized operational and technical systems, reconstructed the orchestra pit and seating, relocated dressing rooms, and adapted the venue for live theatrical production. Historic furniture, fixtures, signage, decorative paint, and much of the interior ornament were retained. The theatre reopened in June 1980, and Annie became the first touring Broadway musical presented after restoration. From the 1980s onward, the 5th Avenue developed into both a presenting venue and a producing organization. When touring-show supply weakened during the mid-to-late 1980s, the theatre remained active through community events and local promoters. The creation of the 5th Avenue Musical Theatre Company in 1989 gave the institution a permanent resident producing identity. Its programming came to include revivals, original musicals, national tours, special events, and developmental productions. The theatre's role as a pre-Broadway laboratory became one of its most visible institutional strengths, with shows such as Jekyll & Hyde, Hairspray, The Wedding Singer, and Aladdin associated with its stage during development or early production histories. The building survived the 2001 Nisqually earthquake with no reported structural failure, although decorative plaster and ceiling supports required extensive repair. Seismic improvements were also undertaken in the Skinner Building. In 2009, a new vertical marquee restored a prominent element of the theatre's street presence while using LED lighting for improved energy efficiency. Today, the 2,130-seat venue is operated by the nonprofit 5th Avenue Theatre Association. It presents a six- or seven-show subscription season, typically combining locally produced musicals, revivals, national tours, and new works. The organization also runs education and outreach activities for students, theatre professionals, and community audiences. Its financial model combines ticket sales and subscriptions with individual and corporate philanthropy, government support, and volunteer participation. The theatre remains a major cultural employer in the Puget Sound region and a prominent Seattle institution for musical theatre.
- 2009
Vertical marquee restored
[1]A new LED-lit vertical marquee is installed, recalling the theatre's earlier street sign.
- 2001
Earthquake repairs
[1]Repairs following the Nisqually earthquake address ceiling supports, decorative plaster, chandeliers, and building seismic resilience.
- 1989
Resident musical-theatre company founded
[1]The 5th Avenue Musical Theatre Company is established as the theatre's resident nonprofit producing company.
- 1980
Reopening as a live-theatre venue
[1]The restored theatre reopens, with Annie becoming its first touring Broadway musical after renovation.
- 1979
Preservation association established
[1]The 5th Avenue Theatre Association is formed by Seattle business leaders to finance and coordinate preservation.
- 1978
Closure
[1]The venue closes after prolonged pressure from changing entertainment patterns and declining downtown cinema attendance.
- 1926
Grand opening
[1]The theatre opens on September 24 with a mixed film, vaudeville, and musical program.
- 1925
Construction begins
[1]Construction of the theatre within the Skinner Building begins in October under the direction of Pacific Northwest Theatres.
Products and positioning
A landmark Seattle musical-theatre institution combining historic venue appeal, Broadway touring, locally produced musicals, new-show development, and broad education and outreach. Its distinctive positioning comes from serving as both a major regional presenting house and a testing ground for musicals that may later reach Broadway.
Theatre season
Subscription season
The theatre's principal recurring offering is a subscription season generally containing six or seven productions. The schedule combines locally produced musical-theatre revivals, new works, and nationally touring Broadway musicals. Subscribers receive structured access to the season and form an important base for the nonprofit's audience and revenue model.
Live performance · 1980
Broadway touring musicals
The 2,130-seat theatre presents national tours of Broadway musicals, continuing the live-performance role established after its 1980 restoration. Touring engagements allow Seattle audiences to see large-scale commercial musicals in a historic downtown venue.
New musical development
Original and developmental musicals
The 5th is recognized as a developmental venue for musicals intended for broader national exposure. Its stage has been associated with early or developmental presentations of works including Jekyll & Hyde, Hairspray, The Wedding Singer, and Aladdin, helping creators and producers test material before larger commercial runs.
Arts education
Education and outreach
Education and outreach programs extend the organization beyond ticketed performances. Activities serve school-age students, professional performers, and adult audiences through programming intended to build theatre participation and access.
Brand decisions
1989
Create a resident producing companyStrategyBackground
The theatre had operated primarily as a touring-show venue after reopening, while the supply of touring productions could fluctuate.
Action taken
The organization established the 5th Avenue Musical Theatre Company as a resident nonprofit producer.
Aftermath
The theatre expanded its identity from presenter to producer, supporting locally made revivals and new musical development alongside touring engagements.
1979
Adopt nonprofit preservation and live-theatre strategyStrategyBackground
After the venue closed in 1978, conventional commercial reuse proposals threatened its identity as a theatre.
Action taken
The 5th Avenue Theatre Association was formed, secured financing support, and pursued restoration for live performance rather than conversion to another commercial use.
Aftermath
The restored venue reopened in 1980 and became a major Broadway touring and musical-theatre institution in Seattle.
Restoration financing. $2.6 million loan underwritten by business leaders (1979)
Recent events
- 2009
New energy-efficient vertical marquee installed[1]
Other
A new vertical marquee, inspired by the theatre's earlier sign and interior design, was installed with LED lighting and a revolving 5th sign.
- 2001
Nisqually earthquake prompts repairs and seismic work[1]
Other · Regulation
The theatre suffered nonstructural damage during the Nisqually earthquake. Decorative plaster and ceiling supports were repaired, and seismic upgrades were made to the Skinner Building.
- 1989
5th Avenue Musical Theatre Company established[1]
Other
The resident nonprofit musical-theatre company was established, strengthening the theatre's role as a producer as well as a presenter of touring shows.
- 1980
Restored theatre reopens with Annie[1]
Product launch · Other
Following restoration, the theatre reopened for live performance and presented Annie as its first touring Broadway musical in the new operating era.
- 1979
Nonprofit association formed to save the theatre[1]
Other
Forty-three Seattle business leaders created the 5th Avenue Theatre Association and supported a loan intended to preserve and restore the closed venue.
- 1978
5th Avenue Theatre closes during the late-1970s crisis[1]
Other
The theatre shut its doors after declining attendance and financial pressure associated with television, economic conditions, and the growth of suburban movie complexes.
Sources2 sources
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