Rising from the dust and memories of the Embassy Theatre, one of the last extant venues from Seattle's vaudeville and movie-house glory days, The Triple Door opened Sept. 20.
After nearly 20 years of dreams, endless planning and near-Hercu-lean tenacity, Wild Ginger owners Rick and Ann Yoder have transformed the Embassy into the Triple Door, Seattle's newest, world-class music facility.
Designed by NBBJ and constructed by Sellen Construction, the Triple Door completes the restoration of the terra cotta-clad Mann Building, originally built in 1926. The old Embassy's history is reflected in the theater's ceiling and proscenium, adorned with the restored original rosettes, bands of acanthus leaves and other classical motifs. (Well, not quite all the Embassy's history: in the '60s the place was a 50-cent, 20-hours-a-day grindhouse showing tattered prints of third-run movies to drifters, and in the '70s it was a porno theater.)
The Triple Door is a pendant to Benaroya Hall, across Union Street, in that it offers analogous concert hall, state-of-the-art sound and production, but in an intimate, 230-seat theater setting to showcase jazz, blues, cabaret, rock, world, folk, Latin, country and beyond.
Joining Benaroya Hall and the Seattle Art Museum at the city's heart, the Triple Door aspires to enhance Seattle's visibility and reputation as a national and international cultural center. Additionally, its operators promise superb food and beverage service to audiences.
The basic idea behind the Triple Door theater, according to its principals, is to provide the best in sound, lighting, atmosphere and hospitality. Through those come opportunities to make something real and alive happen between artist and audience.
Paraphrasing The Talking Heads, "This ain't no CD, this ain't no download, this ain't no foolin' around."
The theater's intimate size will make it possible to include many terrific artists not on the pop-culture radar. "By building a reputation for providing a great experience, we want to help people take the leap into new areas, open up and listen," said Rick Yoder.
"There's nothing like that 'Eureka!' moment when you're turned on by something you didn't know about or thought you wouldn't like."
The facility includes four private suites adjoining and overlooking the theater that feature deluxe seating for four to eight guests. The suites can open to each other. On the other side of the suites is the Musicquarium, a 150-seat social arena where guests can enjoy a bar while still being part of a "live" scene.
Mediterranean-themed cuisine and European desserts are to be served in the music theater as well as the lounge and private suites, the principals say.
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