Our Musical Heritage
The past
Since 1926, The 5th Avenue Theatre has brought joy and pleasure to millions of people. On the night of September 24, crowds packed the new 5th Avenue Theatre for its grand opening—a Fanchon & Marco vaudeville production.
When moving pictures entered the scene in the 1930s, The 5th thrived as a popular movie palace, thanks mainly to the efforts of film exhibitor James Q. Clemmer. Known for his showmanship, Clemmer arranged to have an organ rise from the center of the orchestra pit during a film’s most suspenseful moment. Ushers wore costumes that reflected the movie’s theme, and a huge bear called out to children during Saturday matinees.
The 5th Avenue Theatre is a national treasure.”
Helen Hayes
The recession of the 70s, coupled with the popularity of television and the growth of movie complexes in the suburbs, put The 5th out of business in 1978. Community leaders responded by raising funds for a renovation with an eye toward bringing Broadway entertainment to Seattle.
Marissa Jaret Winokur and Harvey Fierstein star in the world premiere of Hairspray at The 5th Avenue Theatre.
At the theatre’s grand re-opening on June 16, 1980, actress Helen Hayes christened the stage with a kiss and declared it “a national treasure.” The 5th became Seattle’s premier home for Broadway shows, starting with the national tour of Annie. In 1989, The 5th Avenue Musical Theatre Company was established as a resident non-profit theater company to produce musicals locally.
The present
Today, Seattle’s premier showplace is home to one of the largest and most acclaimed not-for-profit performing arts organizations in the Pacific Northwest. The 5th produces and presents musical theater for a subscription audience of over 23,000 and an annual attendance of more than 200,000.
Under the guidance of Executive Producer and Artistic Director David Armstrong, Managing Director Bernadine Griffin and Producing Director Bill Berry, the theatre's mission is to preserve and revitalize the great musicals of the past, and to foster the development and production of new musicals. Some of the theatre's notable productions include the world premieres of the Tony Award-winning musical Hairspray, the Tony-nominated The Wedding Singer, the Tony-winning Shrek: the Musical, and the Broadway-bound Catch Me If You Can, as well as acclaimed revivals of Sunday in the Park with George directed by Sam Buntrock, A Little Night Music with Hayley Mills and Claire Bloom, Hair with Cheyenne Jackson, Man of La Mancha with John Cullum, Anything Goes with Bronson Pinchot and Dee Hoty, Gypsy with Judy Kaye, and original productions of Memphis, Princesses, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Jekyll & Hyde, and Annie Warbucks.