Mount Baker Theatre celebrates 95 years of showstopping performances

Mount Baker Theatre (MBT) has stood as a testament to time through war and pandemic, proving itself as Whatcom County’s mainstage for the arts. The show must go on, and it will, as the theater celebrates its 95th anniversary this spring.

MBT will have Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth, known for her roles as Glinda in “Wicked” and Sally Brown “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” perform at its 95th anniversary celebration and benefit concert on April 23.

“Our 95th birthday is a big deal,” said John Purdie, the theater’s executive director. “At one point in Bellingham there were seven theaters. This is the one that stood the test of time.”

One reason the theater’s been alive since 1927 is because of its different mediums throughout time, Purdie said. When Fox Theatre first built it, the main purpose was to put on vaudeville shows, a 20th century type of entertainment that is a mixture of burlesque comedy and song and dance. Throughout history, the theater’s variety in entertainment provided the community with continuous art.

“Back then, there was no television,” Purdie said. “Radio signals weren’t very strong yet. Theater was how people got entertainment. There was a theater in town so big that they could drive a horse and carriage onto the stage and turn it around and drive it off the stage. It was that big.”

MBT marketing director Lelani Thomsen said Chenoweth’s various talents represent the theater’s versatility. In addition to starring in Broadway classics, Chenoweth is known for acting on the TV show ‘Glee,’ and releasing several albums that feature Ariana Grande, Dolly Parton and other female artists.

“Chenoweth is a powerhouse,” Thomsen said. “She does so many things, just like this theater. She sings, acts on TV and Broadway, and she’s really funny. It’s the same thing, [the theater] has different personalities based on what performance is
happening.”

The theater has faced adversity in the past. In 1983, Fox sold the theater to a firm that planned to divide the theater into multiple screens. The theater building was also in bad shape and at risk of demolition, according to its website. After vigorous public protest, MBT became a city-owned facility managed by Mount Baker Theatre Corporation, a citizen-based nonprofit.

“Citizens partnered with the city and county and raised enough money for the city to buy the theater from Fox, who was happy to sell it,” Purdie said.

Thomsen emphasized that MBT serving as a hub for the community is her favorite part of working at the theater. Although the theater hosts worldwide artists, it also prioritizes local creators.

“Being able to bring these world-class acts is great, but bringing in the community is amazing,” Thomsen said.

After the November 2021 floods, MBT donated time and space to the Whatcom County Live Aid Benefit concert to raise funds for community members impacted by the floods. Local nonprofits had tables at various events, such as Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association and Recreation Northwest to inform the community about native plants, trails and how to be a good steward to the land.

MBT’s educational events have had to be discontinued or turned virtual due to Covid-19. The Whatcom community has been great about supporting the theater and respecting its health guidelines. Thomsen said the theater had a rough start after being closed for 15 months during Covid-19. It opened Labor Day weekend 2021, with not many attendees. As time progressed, the theater hosted shows with full houses of up to 1,500 guests. This year so far, the theater has live streamed educational events such as Small Island Big Song, which reached 2,100 students in 100 classrooms across five
counties. 

One thing that will always remain consistent is the upkeep and restoration of the 95-year-old theater. Throughout the years, MBT has maintained the same aesthetic. MBT’s Harold and Irene Walton Theatre and the Encore Room have been renovated, but the rest has been restored. However, the fundamental architecture has not changed.

The theater has maintained a Spanish-Moorish motif since initial construction, especially in the theater lobby, Purdie said. Architecturally, it’s designed to resemble the inside of a captain’s cabin on a Spanish galleon, a sailing ship used for cargo and war. Although the furniture has changed color palettes, the patterns have stayed the same for 95 years.

“The lobby is the same lobby since opening day,” Purdie said. “These theaters were built at a time when they were designed intentionally to take you out of your everyday world and transport you somewhere else, which is what film and vaudeville often do.”

Architect Robert Reamer designed the theater, as well as several surrounding buildings in downtown Bellingham. Reamer also designed the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone National Park and the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle.

“Ninety-five years is a big deal,” Thomsen said. “It’s huge for a building, and all the different lives it’s had.”

Tickets to Mount Baker Theatre’s 95th birthday and benefit concert can be purchased at mountbakertheatre.com. The event is 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 23. Tickets range from $65 to $350.