Pantages Theater, Tacoma

Pantages Theater opened in 1918 as part of Alexander Pantages’s vaudeville circuit and was designed by B. Marcus Priteca. It combined a theatre with offices above it, while its exterior contrasts white glazed terra cotta with yellow-toned brick. Inside, Versailles-inspired plasterwork, gilded detail, and box seating gave the auditorium a formal, theatrical character.

As entertainment tastes changed, the theatre shifted from vaudeville to film and became known first as the Orpheum, then as the Roxy. During its movie-house years, much of the original gilded decoration was covered in dull green paint. After the city purchased the aging building in 1974, restoration work helped return its historic character, and the Pantages name came back with its 1983 reopening.

The building also carries its share of theatre folklore. A plaster bust linked to Alexander Pantages overlooks the stage, with local lore claiming its expression changes with the quality of a performance. Other stories mention Kate Rockwell, or “Klondike Kate,” as a woman in white seen near the balcony, along with reports of a female voice singing in the empty theatre. These legends add another layer to a venue shaped by vaudeville, film, restoration, and live performance.