Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall is a historic theater building and performing arts venue in downtown Portland, Oregon. It forms part of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts and is one of the city's principal spaces for live performance. The venue is associated with the Oregon Symphony, Portland Youth Philharmonic, Metropolitan Youth Symphony, White Bird dance programming, and Portland Arts & Lectures, while also hosting touring musicians, theater productions, films, conferences, weddings, and other public events. Its informal local nickname, “The Schnitz,” is widely used alongside the formal name. The building opened in March 1928 as the Portland Publix Theatre. Designed by the Chicago theater specialists Rapp and Rapp, it was conceived in an Italian Renaissance-inspired style, although contemporary descriptions also referred to French Renaissance and Northern Italianate influences. It was among the most lavish theaters built for a city of Portland's size, with elaborate lobbies, marble and mirrored finishes, ornate chandeliers, a large concession counter, balcony lounges, an orchestra pit, a flying stage, and a Wurlitzer organ. The original venue combined vaudeville and motion pictures and was promoted with claims of approximately 4,000 seats, although its practical capacity was closer to 3,000. In 1930, the venue became the Paramount Theatre after its operators obtained a contract to show Paramount films locally. It remained primarily a movie house through the middle of the twentieth century. During the Great Depression, management used additional lobby entertainment, including musicians and a purported psychic, to attract customers. The theater later became part of the Evergreen chain and was involved in the operation of several Portland cinemas. The building suffered from deferred maintenance in the 1960s and early 1970s. Cast-iron balcony ornament fell in 1965, and large pieces of masonry came down from the facade in 1970. Television also weakened the economics of operating a large first-run movie theater. The final first-run film, Dr. Phibes Rises Again, was shown on August 15, 1972. The venue then shifted toward live concerts, including performances promoted by Paramount Northwest. A 1972 concert by Black Oak Arkansas was recorded for the band's 1973 live album, and the hall also hosted artists connected with the period's concert circuit. Ownership and leasing disputes followed. In 1975, much of the theater's movable decorative inventory, including its organ, statuary, antique furnishings, rugs, paintings, and pianos, was auctioned. A public collection preserved the marble statue known as “Surprise” for the lobby. The building changed ownership again in 1976, while Portland debated whether to rehabilitate it or demolish it as part of a new performing arts complex. The city ultimately pursued acquisition through condemnation proceedings in the early 1980s. A major renovation began in September 1983 under designs by Boora Architects. The approximately one-year project repaired, recast, replaced, and modernized much of the interior while retaining the building's historic character. The original Paramount sign was removed in 1984 and replaced with a replica reading “Portland,” recalling the building's first name and signaling its transition from cinema to performing arts venue. When the Portland Center for the Performing Arts opened in 1984, the theater was renamed in honor of Portland philanthropists Arlene and Harold Schnitzer, whose support helped complete the project. Today, the hall accommodates 2,776 patrons across its orchestra and balcony levels. It has a large proscenium stage, orchestra pit, choir loft, dressing facilities for up to 90 performers, and a portable acoustic shell that supports orchestral and other amplified or acoustic presentations. It is Portland's last surviving theater building on Broadway, a street once lined with major movie palaces. The hall's identity therefore combines historic architecture, civic preservation, presenting-venue operations, and a broad program of professional and community performing arts.

Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall occupies a historic theater building on Broadway in downtown Portland, Oregon. The structure opened in March 1928 as the Portland Publix Theatre, a large vaudeville and movie venue designed by Rapp and Rapp. The architects were known for ornate American theater buildings, and the Portland project reflected that tradition through Renaissance-inspired detailing, extensive foyers, marble and mirrored surfaces, decorative furnishings, chandeliers, balcony lounges, and a substantial Wurlitzer organ. The building was promoted as an exceptionally large and luxurious theater for Portland, although historical accounts indicate that its actual seating capacity was nearer 3,000 than the approximately 4,000 seats advertised. The theater became the Paramount Theatre in 1930 after its operators entered an arrangement to present Paramount films. Cinema remained its principal function for much of the next four decades. Its lobby and auditorium were designed to make the building an attraction in its own right: a large illuminated sign crowned the Broadway marquee, the main lobby contained an unusually long marble concessions counter, and the auditorium included a flying stage and orchestra pit. During the Depression, management experimented with supplementary entertainment such as roving musicians and a purported psychic to encourage attendance. By 1936, the theater had been sold to the Evergreen chain in association with John Hamrick, linking it to a broader group of Portland movie houses. By the 1960s, the building's condition had deteriorated. In 1965, a piece of cast-iron balcony ornament fell toward Park Avenue along an old earthquake-related fracture. In 1970, large masonry blocks detached from the Main Street and Broadway corner, damaging the marquee. These incidents reflected the effects of age, rust, and insufficient maintenance. At the same time, television and changing entertainment habits reduced the commercial appeal of a large first-run movie palace. John Haviland acquired the theater in 1971, and the building's operating model soon changed. The last first-run film was shown on August 15, 1972. The theater was then leased for live entertainment by Paramount Northwest, a Seattle-based partnership that promoted concerts by performers including Heart, Tom Petty, and Elvis Costello in a local concert series. Black Oak Arkansas recorded a December 1972 performance at the venue, with selections later appearing on the band's 1973 live album. The conversion to concerts gave the building a new role but also produced conflict. Haviland criticized the economics and condition of the rock-concert operation, and a legal dispute over the lease followed. In 1975, he auctioned many movable contents, including the organ, statuary, antique furnishings, rugs, paintings, and pianos. Audience members raised money to keep the marble statue “Surprise” in the building's lobby. The Paramount Theatre received Portland landmark status in 1972, initially protecting only its exterior, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. After a 1976 ownership change, Portland debated whether to rehabilitate the theater or replace it with a new performing arts complex. Negotiations between the city and the owner failed, and the city council eventually voted to condemn the building. A condemnation jury set compensation at $4.1 million. A major rehabilitation began in September 1983 under Boora Architects. The project repaired or replaced damaged decorative elements, improved audience and performer amenities, and adapted the theater for modern cultural programming. The original Paramount sign was removed in March 1984 and replaced later that year with a replica reading “Portland,” reviving the building's first name and reflecting its new civic function. After the Portland Center for the Performing Arts opened in 1984, the theater was renamed Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in recognition of Arlene and Harold Schnitzer's financial support for the project. The restored hall became a multipurpose presenting venue rather than a single-purpose cinema. Its programming expanded across classical, jazz, pop, rock, folk, gospel, dance, theater, film, lectures, conferences, and private events. The current facility provides 2,776 seats, a 94-by-32-foot stage with a traditional proscenium, an orchestra pit, choir loft, dressing rooms for as many as 90 people, and a portable acoustic shell. It remains a major home for Portland cultural institutions and is notable as the last surviving theater building on Broadway, preserving a physical link to the city's former concentration of large movie palaces.

• 1984

  Reopens as part of Portland's performing arts center

  [1]Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The renovated building reopens, receives a replica Portland sign, and is renamed in honor of Arlene Schnitzer.

• 1983

  Major renovation begins

  [1]Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hallen.wikipedia.org

  Boora Architects begin a large restoration and modernization project in September.

• 1976

  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places

  [1]Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The building receives national historic-register recognition under its Paramount Theatre name.

• 1975

  Historic movable contents are auctioned

  [1]Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The organ, statuary, furnishings, rugs, paintings, and other movable decorative assets are sold, while community members preserve the statue known as “Surprise.”

• 1972

  Final first-run film and concert transition

  [1]Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The last first-run film is screened in August, after which live concerts become increasingly central to the venue.

• 1970

  Facade masonry damages the marquee

  [1]Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hallen.wikipedia.org

  Large blocks of masonry fall from the Main Street and Broadway corner onto the marquee.

• 1965

  Cast-iron balcony ornament falls

  [1]Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hallen.wikipedia.org

  A section of decorative cast iron breaks away from the Park Avenue facade, highlighting the building's maintenance problems.

• 1930

  Renamed Paramount Theatre

  [1]Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The venue adopts the Paramount name after its operators arrange to show Paramount films locally.

• 1928

  Portland Publix Theatre opens

  [1]Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The Rapp and Rapp-designed building opens in March as a vaudeville and motion-picture theater.

A landmark, mid-sized civic performing arts venue that combines a restored 1920s theater interior with flexible facilities for orchestral music, touring entertainment, dance, theater, film, lectures, and private events.

• Concert and performance venue · 1928

  Main auditorium

  The principal auditorium seats 2,776 people across the orchestra level and upper balcony. It supports orchestral, amplified, theatrical, dance, film, lecture, and civic presentations, preserving the scale and visual character of a 1920s movie palace while functioning as a modern performing arts room.

• Venue infrastructure · 1928

  Performance stage and production facilities

  The hall has a 94-by-32-foot stage with a 54-by-32-foot traditional proscenium, an orchestra pit, a choir loft, and dressing rooms serving up to 90 performers. These facilities allow the venue to accommodate symphonic programs, touring productions, dance companies, theater, and large concert presentations.

• Acoustic equipment · 1984

  Portable acoustic shell

  A flexible portable acoustic shell can be installed for orchestral and other primarily acoustic performances. The system helps adapt the room's sound to different ensembles and presentation formats without limiting the hall to a single programming type.

• Event services · 1984

  Venue rentals and events

  In addition to public performances, the hall accommodates conferences, lectures, film programs, weddings, and other private or civic events. Its historic interiors, multiple public entrances, stage infrastructure, and substantial seating capacity make it suitable for both ticketed programming and rentals.

• 1983

  Restore and adapt the theater for a civic performing arts centerStrategy

  Background

  Portland faced a choice between preserving the historic theater and replacing it with a new performing arts facility after years of deterioration and debate.

  Action taken

  The city proceeded with a major renovation designed by Boora Architects, restoring decorative features and improving the building for contemporary performances.

  Aftermath

  The renovated building reopened in 1984 as part of the Portland Center for the Performing Arts and received the Arlene Schnitzer name.

  Renovation cost. $10 million (1983-1984)

  Source

• 1972

  Shift from first-run cinema to live concertsStrategy

  Background

  Television and changing audience behavior weakened the economics of operating a large movie theater. The final first-run film was shown in August 1972.

  Action taken

  The venue was leased to Paramount Northwest, which promoted touring concerts and live entertainment.

  Aftermath

  The building developed a continuing role as a concert venue, although disputes over lease economics, audience behavior, and maintenance later contributed to litigation and operational instability.

  Source

1. 1Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hallen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall official venue pageportland5.com