Page 6 - CinemaRecord #11R.pdf

53. Members On Tour - News From Sydney by Brian Miller

A trip to Sydney is always of interest, and my first visit in six years was no exception. Apart from the theatrical
scene, a cruise up the Parramatta river, followed by a coach tour of the Olympic games site at Homebush Bay,
gives an insight of great events to come.
With the help of a Sydney friend, a retired projectionist and actor, by buying seats in advance to the big shows
and introducing yourself as an interstate member of a theatre historical society, you find that most theatre staff
are only too happy to show and discuss their properties, providing it is a convenient time.
Day 1- The IMAX THEATRE has opened at Darling Harbour and appears from the outside as a tall aluminium
clad cylinder. About 10 rows (seating 550) of steeply raked stadium styled seats face a screen reputedly seven
stories high. Three separate attractions are on view and the one we saw was "Antarctica". The screen image is
quite amazing and relegates Cinerama down to almost postage stamp size by comparison. Sound is also of the
highest quality.

Shows commence on the hour, every hour, but actual running time of "Antarctica" was only forty minutes. With
a top admission of $13.95 and a format mostly suited to documentaries, it will be interesting to see how this
system will develop in the future. IMAX-3D arrives in about eight months. Vision will be fairly spectacular, with
the wearing of special high-tech glasses, which are controlled throughout the theatre by an infra-red beam.

The restoration of the CAPITOL THEATRE in Campbell St. has been documented and is a must for theatre
historians. The slightly smaller and slightly older sister of Melbourne's Forum /State theatre, this building
provides a venue as spectacular as any live show. Interior colours seemed a shade darker and richer than the
Melbourne version. New foyers created on both level in the building next door are in a modern style but
discreet use of similar colours more than complement the mighty capitol.

Stage Of Capitol Theatre - by John MacCabe

Although I had visited the old Empire/Her Majesty's Theatre several times, I had never been to the new Her
Majesty's built after the fire and opened in 1973. The Empire Theatre was located on an oddly shaped block in
Quay Stand appeared almost triangular from the Circle. When remodelled for "My Fair Lady" as Her Majesty's,
false walls brought the auditorium down to a more orthodox size and an additional downstairs foyer was cre-
ated in part of the back stalls