The 5th Avenue Theatre

The 5th Avenue Theatre is the capital of Seattle musical theatre. It is the place to go for both local productions of classic and shows such as Legally Blonde, South Pacific, Sunday in the Park with George and Shrek The Musical, as well as the national tours of shows like Bombay Dreams, Camelot, Edward Scissorhands and The King and I.

The 5th was also the cradle of the now-national hit, Hairspray. Each year, the theater holds 150 live musical performances. The shows are good.  For local theatre folks, getting a spot in a 5th Avenue show is a pinnacle of their career, and the touring shows are performed by the major touring company. But at least 2/3 of the experience of attending the 5th Avenue Theatre is getting inside the theatre itself. 

The theatre was first built in 1926. It housed vaudeville, and then became the place to see movies in the city. When it began to fail in the 70s, several major businesses stood up to restore the theatre—for good reason. The inside is spectacular. Like much of Seattle, the inside of the theatre pays homage to Asian grandeur. In this case, the inside architecture modeled itself after China’s Forbidden City and Summer Palace.

The dome inside the main theater is a replica of the one from inside the Summer Palace, complete with a great dragon rising from the octagonal caisson which anchors the amazing glass chandelier. Everywhere you look, there is carved wood and plaster, sculpture and upholstery that makes one feel as if they were, indeed, back in imperial China, at a show to entertain the emperor.

It’s worthwhile to grab a free tour, held most Mondays at noon, to get a good look at the inside—if you go for a performance, it gets crowded and too dark to fully appreciate.  The inside glamour is, of course, in strict contrast to the patrons. It’s always amazing to sit in such a well-appointed theatre with attendees wearing their Pacific Northwest best (sandals and fleece hoodies—although there are the rare few that dress up in evening wear, to be fair). 

HelloSeattle Tip: You can purchase tickets online, by phone or at the box office. While tickets are non-refundable, the theatre operates as a nonprofit, which means you can write off any missed performances.

- by Caren Gussoff Sumption, Seattle Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Caren Gussoff Sumption

Caren Gussoff Sumption is a freelance writer and editor from Seattle, WA. She's written for USA Today, the Seattle Times/NW Source, MSN and AOL, and her fiction has been published worldwide. She received her MFA in writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.