THE HISTORY
Developed by Henry Leigh Hunt, the Huntridge Theatre held its Grand Opening on October 10, 1944, taking its place as the centerpiece of the vibrant new Huntridge neighborhood, named in honor of Henry’s late father, international business magnate Leigh S. J. Hunt.
Renowned architect S. Charles Lee brought his expertise and reputation to the project as one of the most distinguished theater designers on the West Coast, having been responsible for the Hollywood Melrose Hotel and the Fox Theater in Beverly Hills. Lee took inspiration from the Art Deco Streamline Moderne style to infuse the project with powerful linear strokes set off by the marquee’s curvy sleekness and other rounded nautical elements. The result was a stunning crown jewel for the new neighborhood, which would one day find its way onto the National Register of Historic Places, the Nevada State Register of Historic Places, and the City of Las Vegas Historic Register.
The Huntridge Theater’s Hollywood legacy was powerful from the beginning. One of its initial operating companies was partially owned by legendary Hollywood icons Loretta Young and Irene Dunne. Las Vegas Premieres and World Premieres of Ben Hur, The Las Vegas Story, Love is a Ball and Around the World in 80 Days, among others, found a home at the Huntridge Theater, while frequent visits from celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Dionne Warwick, Muhammed Ali and Elizabeth Taylor made certain the theater consistently hit its mark in the spotlight. In 1951, the Huntridge Theater would add another historical moment to its legacy, becoming the first racially integrated theater in Nevada as civil rights activist and Jewish community leader Lloyd Katz became the theater operator. And, inevitably, in the 1970s, the theater would experience its intersection with the phenomenon of Elvis Presley, as The King rented out the Huntridge for several private movie showings.
Then, in 2021 Dapper Companies purchased the Huntridge Theater and began a multi-million dollar revitalization and expansion project. In 2023 a raucous public ceremony was held to relight the theater’s marquee and neon signage, in honor of the bright future ahead. At this event, it was announced that internationally renowned SoHo Playhouse would be the theater’s new operator.
Working together, SoHo Playhouse and Dapper Companies will celebrate the theater’s history while they ignite a new legacy for the Huntridge Theater as a cultural epicenter for Las Vegas. In addition to honoring the venue’s history as a home for live music, the multi-venue complex will also host live theatre, comedy, performance art, dance and yes, even movies. The Huntridge will become a home for the multi-cultural, multi-discipline artists and creators of Las Vegas to hone and showcase their work.
By providing innovative spaces for artists and culture creators to explore, collaborate and create, the Huntridge Theater will lead the way in educating and inspiring the people of Las Vegas, young and old, to gather within this historic building to experience and celebrate the distinctive arts culture of Las Vegas in all its forms.
After decades of sharing the magic of movies with Las Vegans of all ages, the Huntridge Theater was converted to a live events venue in 1992. The historic building would now use its next chapter to bring the electrifying energy of world class rock-n-roll, punk, pop and alternative performers to the stage. Iconic artists and bands such as Green Day, No Doubt, The Killers, Foo Fighters, Beck, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sarah McLachlan, The Cranberries, Sublime, Beastie Boys, Violent Femmes and Suzanne Vega, among many others, created indelible memories for thousands of concert goers. In an era when attending live concerts was the epicenter of American shared cultural experiences and the foundational coming-of-age building blocks for an entire generation of Las Vegans, the Huntridge Theater was the place to be.
In 2004, a two-decade intermission would begin for the Huntridge Theater. The historic icon sat idle through several well intended but inevitably unsuccessful attempts to renovate and restore the legendary venue.
TIMELINE
-
Businessman Leigh S.J. Hunt passes away and leaves land once used as a farm to his son, Henry Leigh Hunt.
-
Henry Leigh Hunt hosts the Grand Opening of the Huntridge Theater on Oct 10, 1944
-
Civil rights activist and president of Nevada Theater Corporation, Lloyd Katz, becomes the operator of the theater and makes it the first racially integrated theater in Nevada.
-
Theater is refurbished to add a wide screen.
-
Theater is partitioned in half and becomes a two-screen venue
-
Sound engineer Richard Lenz begins operating the theater as a live event venue
-
The Huntridge Theater is officially added to the National Register of Historic Places.
-
Theater closes for a year after a roof collapse prior to a show by the band the Circle Jerks (no one was injured and the band played their concert in the parking lot for free)
-
The Huntridge is placed on the State of Nevada Register of Historic Places
-
The Huntridge Theater closes for renovations, but never reopens.
-
J Dapper Companies purchases the theater and begins a multi-million dollar renovation and revitalization effort. That same year the Huntridge Theater is added to the City of Las Vegas Historic Register