image from 1916 edition of Moving Picture World
  • image from 1916 edition of Moving Picture World

The Mt. Tabor Theater is becoming the Alhambra Theatre. Or, rather, it is becoming the Alhambra Theatre again.

When the venue opened its doors in 1913, it was a movie house called the Alhambra. It changed its name to the Mt. Tabor Theater along the way—this photo from 1980 shows its incarnation as a soft-porn theater—before becoming a music venue. Over the past 10 years or so, Mt. Tabor has switched ownership and management a few times, including stints as Sabala’s and the Mt. Tabor Legacy. Now the current owners are giving it an overhaul, evoking the theater’s original incarnation.

Mt. Tabor/Alhambra director of advertising Chase Varga tells us, “We are renovating the theater in phases starting with the entryway, hallway and bathrooms. In phase one, small touches will also be done to the Lounge and Concert Hall while awaiting phase two, which will be a full remodel of both rooms. We are striving to bring the theater back to its original glory in decor, technology, hospitality, and entertainment. Through extensive digging we have found photos of the old theater and have been pulling everything we can to rebuild what time took away.”

The change won’t affect the upcoming Bridgetown Comedy Festival in April, but the grand reopening of the Alhambra will be celebrated with a five-day-long May Day Music Festival, with an impressive lineup of talent. Here’s the bill, with additional acts to be announced:

Wed May 1—Red Fang
Thurs May 2—Eleven Magazine/Deli Magazine FREE showcase featuring: Glassbones, Catherine Feeny, Sama Dams, Pheasant, Summer Cannibals, Jolliff
Fri May 3—Black Prairie, Hook and Anchor
Sat May 4—Y La Bamba, the Lower 48
Sun May 5—Sage Francis, Prolyphic

Tickets for the May Day Music Festival go on sale tomorrow through the venue’s new website (now live). Apart from the May 2 show which is free, all days are $15-20, and a full festival pass is $50.

Ned Lannamann is a writer and editor in Portland, Oregon. He writes about film, music, TV, books, travel, tech, food, drink, outdoors, and other things.

4 replies on “Mt. Tabor Theater to Reopen as Alhambra Theatre”

  1. I hope bringing back the theater’s original glory includes mopping the goddamn floor. That place sticks to the bottom of my shoes and I do not like it.

  3. LOLZ…I’ve heard this so many times about this place it’s unreal. That place is a money pit and nothing can be done. If Chris Sabala couldn’t do it bringing in the names he was doing its just not going to happen.

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