Established by “Colonel” Walter Scott “W.S.” Butterworth (b.1867 d.1936) the Regent Theater opened in Kalamazoo in 1919. Located on the east side of S. Rose St, the theater formerly known as the Academy of Music (1882-1919) was managed by Roy Tillson (b.1887 d.1942) from the time of its opening. The six-piece house orchestra was led by Donald “Don” Warren (b. 1893 d. 1964) The theater itself was remodeled to seat an audience of at least 650 and ran a variety of vaudeville performances and motion picture films.

W.S. Butterworth, also known as “The Bijou Man” or “Michigan’s Theater Man,” established a series of vaudeville theaters across Michigan. In 1905, he first built these entertainment houses in Battle Creek, Jackson, and Kalamazoo. However, his business soon expanded to other cities such as Flint, Bay City, Ann Arbor, Saginaw, and Lansing. Touring acts performed weekly at these theaters, sometimes accompanied by short films as the popularity of the motion picture grew. Troupes who frequently performed at the Regent include the Robert Henderson Players and the Wright Players. Butterfield also established three other popular theaters in Kalamazoo; The Bijou (est. 1905), the Majestic (est. 1907) and the State Theatre (est. 1927). On June 11, 1930, the Regent Theater was destroyed in a fire.