West Seattle movie house to be grand again

posted by Michael Zoldessy on November 2, 2007 at 7:50 am

WEST SEATTLE, WA — No longer on the endangered theaters list, the Admiral Theatre is undergoing renovations to restore murals and make it an attractive venue for concerts as well as films.

For those who’ve lived in West Seattle in the past 60 or so years, the Admiral is faded, but still cherished — even as sprouting condominiums change the flavor of the neighborhood around the theater at California Avenue Southwest and Southwest Admiral Way.

But as the rest of the neighborhood marches forward, the theater is trying to return to its roots. The manager of the theater, Steve Garrett, wants to bring it back to its old glory and quirkiness. He plans to apply for grants and raise money to pay for the renovations, which will cost about $3 million.

The economics of the movie business won’t let him restore the theater to one big cinema. But he’s planning to give the Admiral new life by renovating it, so the theater will light up for comedy and music acts, not just darken for movies. Next year, Garrett said, he has a tentative agreement for B.B. King to perform there.

You can read the full story in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Theaters in this post

• Admiral Theatre