Theater and music venue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Pabst Theater
Grande Olde Lady
Southern façade c.1970
Full name
Captain Frederick Pabst Theater
Address
144 E Wells St Milwaukee, WI 53202-3519
Location
East Town
Public transit
MCTS
Owner
Pabst Theater Group
Operator
PTG Live Events
Capacity
1,339
Construction
Broke ground
December 1894
Opened
November 9, 1895 (1895-11-09)
Renovated
1928, 1976, 1989, 1998, 2002
Construction cost
$300,000 ($10.6 million in 2023 dollars[1])
Architect
Otto Strack
Website
Venue Website
Pabst Theater
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Architectural style
German Renaissance Revival, Late Victorian
NRHP reference No.
72000063[2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP
April 11, 1972
Designated NHL
December 4, 1991[3]
The Pabst Theater is an indoor performance and concert venue and landmark of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Colloquially known as "the Pabst", the theater hosts about 100 events per year.[4] Built in 1895,[3] it is the fourth-oldest continuously operating theater in the United States,[5] and has presented such notables as pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff, actor Laurence Olivier, and ballerina Anna Pavlova, as well as various current big-name musical acts.[3]
The Pabst is known for its opulence as well as its role in German-American culture in Milwaukee. It is officially designated a City of Milwaukee Landmark and a State of Wisconsin Historical Site, and was also designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991. It is sometimes called the "Grande Olde Lady", being the oldest theater in Milwaukee's theater district.[5]
The Pabst is a traditional proscenium stage theater with two balconies,[6] for a total capacity of 1,300 people.[5] It hosts approximately 100 events per year, including music, comedy, dance, opera, and theater events.[4] The theater also has a hydraulic orchestra pit, adding to its suitability for virtually any performing arts event.[citation needed] The auditorium itself is drum-shaped and is decorated in reds and maroons with gold and silver accents.[5] A large, 2-ton Austrian crystal chandelier hangs over the auditorium. The theater also boasts a staircase crafted from white Italian Carrara marble[citation needed] and a proscenium arch highlighted in gold leaf, which frames the stage.[5]
The theater features a historic organ, which once provided accompaniment for silent films. The instrument is a 4 manuals; 20 ranks opus of M.P. Moller.[7]
^1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda(PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States(PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
^"National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
^ abc"Pabst Theater". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
^ ab"Pabst Theater". Wisconsin Presenters Network Guide. April 19, 2006. Archived from the original on April 19, 2006. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
^ abcdeRankin, James H. "Pabst Theater". Cinema Treasures. Cinema Treasures, LLC. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
^Mary Ellen Wietczykowski (February 14, 1972). NRHP Inventory/Nomination: Pabst Theater. National Park Service. Retrieved February 19, 2020. With one photo.
^"M. P. Moller (1928)". Organ Historical Society. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
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