Saturday, November 10, 2007

I am a fan of live theatre so it was a thrill for me to get a backstage tour of the Historic Paramount Theatre last Saturday. These free tours are conducted at 10:00 AM the first Saturday of every month. Recommended!

So it’s true, I’ve been on stage at the Paramount. The theatre was built in 1928 and used as movie theatre. In those days movies were silent, but were accompanied by live organ music, timed by the organist, to fit what was on screen. During the tour we heard the organ, which was wonderful, and learned it is unlike a church organ. It can play essentially all the instruments in a symphony orchestra and sound effects (like a fire engine for example).

The theatre originally cost about $3 Million to build. It sold 10 years ago for about $12 Million to a group of investors that spent an additional $20 Million on restoration. Today it is one of the busiest theatres in Seattle. I mentioned restoration. The details of this wonderful building have been lovingly preserved.

Below stage, on the walls of a hallway are posters from many of the productions seen here. All are signed by the cast members. It was a treat for me to see this historical side note since I have seen most of these shows right here.

A couple of times a year, they do a “Silent Movie Monday” where they show historic silent films and accompany them on the organ. That could be fun!

Posted by Digital Quixote in • Out and About
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