Page 14 - cr53

SUNDAY 26 FEB 2006: FREE DAY NDAY 26 FEB 2006: FREE DAY
SU
SUNDAY 26 FEB 2006: FREE DAY SUNDAY 26 FEB 2006: FREE DAY
MONDAY 27 FEB 2006: SYDNEY CITY CENTRE WALKING DAYONDAY 27 FEB 2006: SYDNEY CITY CENTRE WALKING DAY
M
MONDAY 27 FEB 2006: SYDNEY CITY CENTRE WALKING DAYMONDAY 27 FEB 2006: SYDNEY CITY CENTRE WALKING DAY
Much refreshed after a free day on Sunday, the party gathered out-
Capitol TheatreCapitol Theatre
side the hotel for the short walk to the Capitol TheatreCapitol Theatre – right next
door! The CapitolCapitol was Australia’s first ‘atmospheric’ styled cinema,
CapitolCapitol
having been converted in 1927 from the 1916 New Hippodrome New Hippodrome
New Hippodrome New Hippodrome
Theatreeatre, the home of Wirth’s Circus. The local architect responsible,
TheatreTheatre
Th
Henry White, had as an associate the American expert in the style,
John Eberson.

The auditorium of the Capitol TheatreCapitol Theatre Sydney
Capitol TheatreCapitol Theatre
Leaving the CapitolCapitol behind, the party then embarked on a walk down
CapitolCapitol
George Street towards Sydney Harbour. Soon we came to a building
which must be a theatre? Yes, it was – but no longer. The PlazaPlaza
PlazaPlaza
T
Theatreheatre was opened by Hoyts in 1939 with 1,459 seats on a single
TheatreTheatre
floor in Spanish Baroque style. It became Sydney’s only Cinerama
theatre in 1958 and closed in 1977 to become successively a res-
taurant, roller skating rink and finally Planet Hollywood restaurant
and bar. Most of the decorative detailing had been removed but still
remaining, as we could see, was much of that in the foyer – perhaps
the world’s most lavishly decorated MacDonald’s burger bar!
Continuing our walk down George Street, we passed the modern
Greater U
Greater Union/Hoyts Cinema CentreGreater Union/Hoyts Cinema Centre
The exterior of the Capitol TheatreCapitol Theatre Sydney Greater Union/Hoyts Cinema Centrenion/Hoyts Cinema Centre. This large 18-screen jointly-
Capitol TheatreCapitol Theatre
Em-Em-
operated multiplex was built on the sites of earlier cinemas, the Em-Em-
The 2,999-seat auditorium had a Florentine garden setting with cy- press/Victory/Rapallo ess/Victory/Rapallo and the ParamountParamount and of the Trocadero Ball-
pr
ParamountParamount
press/Victory/Rapallo press/Victory/Rapallo
press trees, statues and a night sky with star and cloud effects. A 3- room. It is now the most attended cinema in Australia and can have
manual 15-rank Wurlitzer organ was installed but removed in 1972 up to 40,000 admissions on a busy week. Immediately to the right of
Orion TheatreOrion Theatre
and subsequently installed in the Orion TheatreOrion Theatre, Campsie, a suburb the multiplex, the site of the Hoyts Regent Theatre Hoyts Regent Theatre is now being rede-
Hoyts Regent Theatre Hoyts Regent Theatre
of Sydney. The theatre was used initially for ciné-variety but from veloped by the Australian company, Multiplex!
1933 until 1972 it was mainly showing film and, in the later days, Continuing down George Street, we came to Sydney Town Hall Sydney Town Hall
Sydney Town Hall Sydney Town Hall con-
was operated by Greater Union. Leased out as a live venue, many taining the Centennial Hall of 1889, which houses a magnificent
rock concerts were held there, which took a toll on the building and straight organ; its black pipes housed in a white and gilt casing take
it was deemed to be unsafe in 1983 and closed. After a fight to save up the whole of the stage end wall. The Hall was used as a cinema
it from demolition, it underwent a complete restoration staring in from 1910 to 1919 and also by Greater Union for a time in the
1993 getting, in the process, a new stage-house and dressing room 1930s. Our guide on the visit was the city organist, Robert Ampt,
block. Reopening in January 1995, it has continued a successful life who gave us a short organ recital then it was time to break for lunch.
as a live theatre. We were met in a part of the new building, that The group met up again for the short walk to the last venue of the
includes a spacious new foyer and access to the theatre but were day just off George Street in Market Street, the magnificent StateState
StateState
much more excited to see the restored original foyers and then the TheatreTheatre
Theatre
Theatre. Another theatre design by Henry White, this was Greater
auditorium. The foyer has an azure sky for a ceiling and shows its Union’s ‘flagship cinema’ in Sydney and opened in 1929. The StateState
StateState
Mediterranean Renaissance origins in its carved decoration, with also narrowly escaped demolition in the 1970s. After being ‘listed’
much use of green and gold. Stairs, with walls of variegated pinkish- by the National Trust of Australia, the Builders’ Labourers Federation
brown stucco at each end lead up to the circle foyer. Going into the put a ban on any demolition being done. The massive 2,584-seat,
auditorium, we were amazed by the starlit Mediterranean blue sky Louis XIV French Renaissance-style auditorium is hidden behind a
above walls decorated with arches, pedestals and statues in niches, 15-storey office block and the theatre has a very modest appear-
many of them backlit with blue. To the right, this decoration extends ance from the street. But, walking through the main doors, we were
to the proscenium but on the left there is a circular temple with a greeted by a Gothic Hall, with statuary and a fan-vaulted ceiling,
dome supported on Florentine columns. To the front of the circle on housing the ticket windows. Stuart Greene, the StateState TheatreTheatre guide,
StateState TheatreTheatre
both sides, three small boxes were added in the latest restoration. had set up for us a display of photographs of Sydney’s old cinemas.
Happily these are in keeping with the rest of the theatre, which now Through the next set of doors and we were in a massive rotunda, 40
seats only 2,100.

The Capitolapitol foyer The exterior of the former PlazaPlaza G
apitolapitol
Greater Union/HoytsGreater Union/Hoyts
PlazaPlaza
Greater Union/Hoytsreater Union/Hoyts George Street
x x x x