Grande Olde Lady | |
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 |
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 | |
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]