By Sophia Cruise, Shoreline College student writer
During his childhood, Kenny Alhadeff and his friend would pay 25 cents each for a movie ticket at the American Theater to watch some of his favorite films grace the silver screen. There, Alhadeff experienced the iconic adventures of John Wayne and Burt Lancaster as they set off to create their own destinies. Now at the age of 77, Alhadeff and his wife, Marleen, have been on their own 25-year-long adventure in reviving a historic Ballard theater into what is now known as the Majestic Bay.
Alhadeff, whose family has resided in Seattle for seven generations, had planned to either open a movie theater or a bowling alley. Luckily for Ballard, a friend of Alhadeff had come across a rundown theater located in the middle of NW Market St. Known as the Bay Theatre back then, the Alhadeffs decided to take the financial risk and rebuild the theater from the ground up.
The building’s new structure cost around $5 million. With the help of some local Seattle artists and Marleen Alhadeff’s keen eye for interior design, the Bay Theatre was transformed into the Majestic Bay.
“I was hopeful, and maybe this was self-serving too, that redoing the theater would really be part of a resurgence…because the belief to invest that kind of money here in a movie theater is investing in the future of this neighborhood,” Alhadeff said.
The theater, now in its fourth iteration, first opened in 1914 as the Majestic Theatre with just a single screen. After its initial closure, the theater was then reopened as the Roxy Theatre in 1929, and again as the Bay Theatre in 1948 until Alhadeff bought it in 1998. With the theater’s historical presence in Ballard, the couple wanted the new Majestic Bay to continue finding ways to connect with the locals.
The building’s exterior adorns a striking marquee presenting the weekly features alongside glowing blue and red Majestic Bay signage. At night, the marquee’s warm lighting illuminates the street, drawing visitors towards its retro box office. On the inside, luminous jellyfish lights hang from the ceiling while the walls are decorated with various vintage posters, historical photos of the building, and framed signatures from a variety of Oscar-winning actresses.
Inside the theaters themselves, Ballard’s fishing history shines through the deep sea blue curtains, dark wood railing, and gold dock cleats to hold the curtains. Before each movie starts, a waterfall curtain drapes down and up, symbolizing the theater’s unique presentation.
“I had that opportunity to think that the revenue…is you seeing something that you never see in a movie theater anymore. No movie theater that I know of in this area has a curtain that goes up and down before the movie,” Alhadeff said.
With the growth of streaming services, convenience has become the name of the game within the film industry. In a 2025 study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 83% of Americans said they are currently subscribed to a streaming service, with Netflix being the most popular subscription at 72%.
“So why would anybody even bother to go to a movie theater? Because you’re going to an experience,” Alhadeff said. Attending a showtime allows people the opportunity to shut off all their devices and be engaged in a story in a more meaningful way.
“I like going to the theater because it transports you more into the movie than watching it at home. I like the social aspect of getting out of the house and…seeing a movie for the first time,” Peggy Cruise, Ballard local and casual moviegoer, said.
Jesse Plack, the Majestic Bay’s General Manager and Alhadeff’s son-in-law, has made strides in continuing the theater’s growth. Since September 2024, Plack has helped introduce the theater’s retro nights, allowing the public to choose nostalgic films to be screened at the theater. Classics such as The Matrix and A Nightmare on Elm Street have been brought back to the big screen to packed houses, serving as an optimistic reminder that moviegoing can strengthen community.
“Seeing the response to Retro Night has been overwhelmingly rewarding. It feels like we have a giant living room, and get to invite hundreds of friends over to watch our favorite movies together. It is my great joy and honor to be a part of this community,” Plack said via email.
When the lights dim and the curtains fall, and the anticipation for a new experience begins to settle in, the showtime becomes a shared group experience. At the end of the day, theaters are partially dependent on the product output from the film industry itself, but what truly keeps them alive is the local moviegoing community.
The Majestic Bay’s doors have always been open to the Ballard community, allowing a shared experience to become lifelong memories.
“When you have 200 people in a movie…you can’t deny the connection of human beings receiving the same information and filtering it through their head and their heart and their history in different ways and in common ways,” Alhadeff said.
Featured photo: Kenny Alhadeff speaking to the audience at a 2024 Retro Night, Photo by Majestic Bay