The Cort Theatre was built by and named for John Cort, general manager of the Northwestern Theatrical Association, a theater circuit centered in Seattle with playhouses scattered throughout the western US and British Columbia. A fugitive from a vaudeville comedy team called Cort and Murphy, Cort moved from performing to management in the 1890s. The Shuberts acquired the theater in 1927, two years before Cort’s death.

The Cort is the only surviving, still active, legitimate theater designed by Thomas Lamb. Its classic exterior was inspired by the 18th century French Petit Trianon at Versailles. Architecture from the period of Louis XVI also inspired the interior. The lobby is constructed of Pavanozza marble with panels of Marie Antoinette plasterwork. The proscenium arch was constructed in perforated plaster treated with art glass that could be lit during performances; this arch still exists but is not operational today.