PSTOS - Clemmer (Audion, State, Met) Theatre, Spokane Washington

Clemmer (Audion, State, Met) Theatre - 4/32 Kimball
Spokane, Washington
901 W Sprague Ave

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4/32 Kimball console

Clemmer Theatre under construction, 1913 The Clemmer Theatre was the principal house in Spokane. There was at least one earlier Clemmer Theatre.

A 4/32 Kimball was installed in 1914. As with many large instruments of its time, the organ featured a four rank Echo division located in the rear of the auditorium.

Although records show a separate blower was shipped for the Echo division, it is unclear if it was ever installed since the main windline also feeds the rear of the auditorium.

Organists to play the Clemmer: Esther Stayner in 1923. Frances Tipton in 1926-1927.

Clemmer Theatre auditorium. Organ console visible in orchestra pit.

In one of his first theatre engagements, Jesse Crawford was a resident organist.

The Clemmer Theatre building still exists as the Metropolitan Performing Arts Center.

Recent photos of the Clemmer Theatre building (now called "The Met"), courtesy Paul Arndt, © 1999:

Click for a larger version of the image (30K)

Met building, 1999

Entrance lobby

From Paul Arndt, 9/23/1999:

"...when I was there several years ago ... I went below the stage into the pit (which like most theatres... including the FOX... is now covered over by an extended stage) and the original woodwork as shown in the Clemmer console pictures is still there just as it was when the building was new in 1914. When the building was restored about 200 seats were lost as the back wall had been moved when the theatre was a movie theatre back to the columns shown in the lobby photo. The wall was put back to its original position during the restoration taking it back to its original 1914 configuration. Also, as I mentioned the wind lines from the basement to attic above the proscenium are still in place and there was a small plywood platform which as far as I could tell was part of the organ installation which is suspended away from the main organ area. It may have held some of the trebble extension chests. During the restoration they pretty much left areas that they could not find documentation on alone which includes the attic organ area, blower lines, etc."

"When I saw the "Sound of Music" there in the 60's as a child, I remember the theatre being much larger than it seemed when I was there several years ago and I had thought that it would seat about 1200 people. I was shocked that before restoration, it held only about 900 people and now is around 700-750. It typically sells out for most performances. I don't know what the exterior looked like originally but assume it is much like it is today after the restoration except for the marquee which I am assuming is modern."

c.1950s