The Pabst Theater has a new blade sign for the first time in nearly 50 years
The Pabst Theater has a new blade sign for the first time in nearly 50 years.
The new sign on the corner of Water and Well Streets is inspired by the 1920s-era sign that once hung outside the theater. That original sign was removed in the 1970s, when the theater underwent a major renovation. The new blade sign has some modern updates, including the ability to change colors.
The sign will help the theater stand out in a busy part of downtown.
"Previously, you had this National Historic Landmark, and essentially, people could drive past it and not know it was the Pabst Theater because all it had was that logo on the top of the building," said Gary Witt, CEO of the Pabst Theater Group.
Now, he said, "it's time for the outside of the building to represent what actually happens on the inside."
The Pabst was built in 1895 and is a designated National Historic Landmark. In 2000, businessman and philanthropist Michael Cudahy set up a foundation to buy the theater from the City of Milwaukee for $1.
When Cudahy's Pabst Theater Group took over, the venue was averaging about 36 shows per year, aside from the Milwaukee Repertory Theater's annual run of "A Christmas Carol," Witt said. Now, it's averaging more than 200 shows per year.
In the last two decades, Witt said, "the Pabst Theater has returned to its rightful place. It's the crown jewel of Milwaukee's entertainment scene. It leads the newly created theater district. It's a beacon of that."
In recent years, Pabst Theater Group also invested in a new marquee and a blade sign at the Riverside Theater.
It took four years to design the new sign, Witt said. The theater considered several different designs before landing on this one.
On Wednesday, the theater will officially unveil the sign. Common Council President Jose Perez and Alderman Bob Bauman will flip the switch.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Pabst Theater unveils new sign outside historic downtown venue
