History
The Pantages, which now seats 1014, opened in 1916 as a vaudeville house and part of Greek immigrant and impresario Alexander Pantages' renowned consortia of theatres. In 1922, the Pantages was remodeled by renowned theatre architect Marcus Priteca/RKO and a new stained glass dome was added, which remains among the Pantages' most lovely features. In 1945, Edmond Ruben purchased the Pantages and renovated it by adding bird's-eye maple. In 1961, Ruben sold the Pantages to Ted Mann, who renovated the Pantages yet again, and reopened it as a top-notch movie house the Mann Theatre on March 15, 1961. In 1984, the Mann Theatre closed and remained shuttered until 1996, when a five-year effort to save and restore the Pantages Theatre was launched. On November 7, 2002 the completely renovated Pantages re-opened. Since then, the intimate Pantages has presented music, theatre, dance and entertainment of all kinds.