Image from cbc.ca
Vancouver’s last porn theatre to become a music venue
By Angela Espinoza, Arts Editor
Mount Pleasant’s Fox Theatre has been leased by Waldorf Productions’ Tom Anselmi, Ernesto Gomez, Danny Fazio, and the duo of David Duprey and Rachel Zottenberg—owners of several indie venues in Vancouver, including the Rickshaw. Why is this news of such importance? The Fox Theatre, as it turns out, is Vancouver’s last porn theatre.
There are probably a few questions running through your head right now, such as “We still have those?” It’s now been leased to five loud voices in Vancouver’s artistic community, who are intending to turn the local spank bank into a miniature music venue. As already reported, the group intends to start this nifty project by cleaning the place out themselves. I can only imagine the inside is horrifying, save for an apparent mural of Scott Baio in one of the bathrooms.
I’m always heartbroken when another part of Vancouver’s heritage or arts scene is taken away. While I’ll be honest and say I feel like one porn theatre isn’t going to kill anybody, I’m also looking forward to a new venue by an amazing crew of people who’re interested in keeping our indie culture alive. While the Fox Theatre is being labeled as a music venue (DJs included), there are also going to be theatre performances, film screenings, comedy shows—if you thought the Fox Theatre was intimate before, all of the venue’s projects will be possible with only 200 seats to sell for each performance.
Going back a bit, the same argument for keeping Vancouver’s neon signs alive could be applied to those who are a little sad to know the last porn theatre will be gone. As David Lynch has taught us, even the nicest towns need a little bit of seediness. Again, I’m excited for this new venue, which the team is still hoping to name Fox Theatre, but I feel like we’re losing a piece of history—even if it’s a splooge-covered piece of history.
The new and improved Fox Theatre likely won’t be open until next year, or at least until the end of this year. The new venue will offer a lot of opportunity for up-and-coming artists and artists who just want a more intimate setting in what is now a significantly less dangerous and seedy part of Vancouver. Rather than forgetting all about the old Fox Theatre, just remind yourselves if you’re ever at the venue that, “Hey, this used to be a porn theatre… Cool!”
