The Hawaii Theatre is a theatre in downtown Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. Built in 1922, it is located at 1130 Bethel Street, between Hotel and Pauahi Streets, on the edge of Chinatown. It is listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places.

History

When Consolidated Amusement Company opened the Hawaii Theatre on September 6, 1922, local newspapers called it "The Pride of the Pacific" and considered it the equal in opulence to any theatre in San Francisco or beyond.

Honolulu architects Walter Emory and Marshall Webb employed elements of Neoclassical architecture for the exterior—with Byzantine, Corinthian, and Moorish ornamentation—and a rich panoply of Beaux-Arts architecture inside—Corinthian columns, a gilded dome, marble statuary, an art gallery, plush carpets, silk hangings, and a Lionel Walden mural above the proscenium. The theatre reopened in 1996, while exterior renovations continued through 2005. The large marquee from 1938, which had deteriorated and been removed, was replicated and installed, and featured new electronic display panels. It is also the current home of the Honolulu Symphony.

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Image:Hawaii-Theatre-proscenium-stage.JPG|Proscenium and stage

Image:Hawaii-Theatre-interior-ocean-side.JPG|Interior, left sidewall

Image:Hawaii-Theatre-organ.JPG|Robert-Morton theatre organ (1922)

Image:Hawaii-Theatre-ceiling-dome.JPG|Ceiling dome

Image:Hawaii-Theatre-Hamlet-bas-relief.JPG|Hamlet in bas-relief in balcony

File:Mural by Lionel Walden, c. 1922, Hawaii Theatre, Honolulu, Hawaii.jpg|Lionel Waldren mural above proscenium, "The Procession of the Drama"

Image:Ht-lexvenetiae.JPG|Merchant of Venice in bas-relief in balcony

Image:Hawaii-Theatre-window-art.JPG|Decorative exterior windows

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References

  • Hawaii Theatre Center
  • Vintage Photos of the Hawaii Theatre Theatre Historical Society of America website