State Theatre

The State, Sydney, is not an Atmospheric theatre - it is a classic "hard top" Louis the Umpteenth style. It also contains a magnificent gallery of Australian art originals.

hi my name is rebecca and i would like to know if you have the blue prints of the capitol theatre sydney that i could get a copy if you can but if you can't thanks for trying
rebecca pike
304 hoskins st
Temora 2666 nsw

Sydney's State theatre is basically a pot-puri of 2 famous New York theatres plus another from Chicago. The architect,John Eberson was visited personally by the head of Union Theatres,(Stuart F. Doyle) and his architect(Henry White) in 1926. Doyle wanted the latest designs of American movie palaces for his Australian circuit.Eberson had already given White plans for "atmospheric" theatres. Doyle wanted a New York Paramount type building for his second big Sydney theatre. Eberson supplied many of the working drawings,even though Eberson was not the architect of the Paramount. In 1929,the new Sydney State theatre was opened. A theatre that could hold neary 3,000 persons! Doyle got exactly what he wanted. The State theatre is a scaled down New York Paramount. The lobby was a scaled model of the New York Roxy(which included same coloured scaglioli columns) rising some 5 stories. Many of the statuary.light fittings,water fountains and signage are identical to those of the Paradise theatre,Chicago.(an Eberson theatre). In otherwords,the State theatre is a "fully imported" american movie palace.Many of the fittings were made by the same companies who made similar for american theatres.

STATE WURLITZER ORGAN,LATEST NEWS !!!

The State theatre is the owner of a Wurlitzer Pipe Organ. The organ was a super de-luxe model. As originally imported,the State Wurlitzer had two four keyboard consoles with Grand Piano attactment and giant 32'(10 meter) organ pipes. The organ has been in poor condition for decades. It finally blew up in 1992! The decision was taken then not to repair it and it was simply sent to the bottom of the pit! A campaign to have it restored is being pusued with gusto!
In June,2000 work started to restore it completly. The funds coming from the theatre itself. Work is now well in hand in restoring the pipe chambers. Parts of the restored organ are now being reinstalled at the theatre. The console being the first item to appear.

What a stunning theatre

I was wondering are there any Symphony concerts ever held there? for example "Live cinema" (old silent film accompanied by a symphony orchestra)

Dear Rex, yes occasionally, I personally have seen, with orchestral accompaniment PANDORA'S BOX, and the 1913 CABIRIA...often these events are within or just after the Sydney Film Festival which has been there each June for 30 years. Many premiere events for new major films are at the State then open in 200 multiplexes the following week. It is now an events house and absolutley treasured by everyone who sets fot within.

Paul you are very lucky to have such a beautiful theatre. Was the State considered the crown jewel of film palaces in Sydney as well as Australia?brucec

Dear Brucec....by the Sydney public, yes, interstate visitors are just staggered when they discover it. The industry has always considered it the flagship of 20s palaces, although in this country we have (had) many equally as well appointed : Sydney Capitol, State and Regent Melbourne, and the lost lamented Prince Edward Sydney, Plaza Sydney, Regent Sydney and most incredibly the suburban Summer Hill Grosvenor which at 2000 seats in mock Spanish Gothic was actually a combination of the Sydney State and The Sydney Capitol ( and was bulldozed in 1970). The State here still is today, often now as an orchestra or acoustic concert venue as well as television awards shows etc. In the late 80s someone staged a musical about RASPUTIN and the palace of the Czars and the show literally started at the front doors and continued its stage design right to the back wall of the set. Over the stage of the State still is a massive glass crown with red swags sweeping from its rim down and out to the proscenium walls. In the 30s it was the home of RKO musicals and Columbia comedies, The 40s was Rita Hayworth films and technicolour musicals, the 50s much the same and in the 60s saw seasons of whatever big glossy films from Universal (PILLOW TALK ran 12 weeks) along with BYE BYE BIRDIE, ARABESQUE and most astonishing of all the AlliedArtist Elvis comedy TICKLE ME which did a solid 8 weeks! The Boxoffice blockbuster of the 60s was the Aussie comedy THEY'RE A WEIRD MOB at 13 weeks. In the70s it struggled through many British Carry Ons and alot of horror (COUNT YORGA ) but always remained intact and twinkling. In the late 70s it was getting a bit musty and there was even talk of "what to do". For the BETTE MIDLER season in 1980 she came for 3 concerts and played 14 instead to adoring fans who kept snapping up tickets as fast as the boxoffice remained open. Midler often remarked at what an astonishing theatre it was and this unprecedented success assured the owners GREATER UNION THEATRES that the State now has a better life as a cabaret/concert venue, a use it is more famous for today than ever. I have seen many concerts there and often major film premieres play to an invited full house and open the season elsewhere. CRY FREEEDOM with Consuar guests or VANILLA SKY etc with Cruise attending is one example. The STATE has a website. Have a look around that. The Sate is an intact today as it was in 1929, a fact and feature guarded lovingly by owners and public alike. Write to them at 49 Market St Sydney and ask for their postcards which sometimes are available.

The intro's first sentence has a great and legendary actor's name spelled incorrectly. He was Emil Jannings, not Emil Jennings.

While the theatre's design has been influenced by American theatres,
it still has its own distinct atmosphere.

A photograph of the magnificent Gothic entrance hall and box office area of the State Theatre:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/421858332/421858332OGuJWU

That is an amazing photo. It puts the local megaplexes to shame.

Here is a photo of the main street entrance, the Gothic style entrance hall is just within:
http://flickr.com/photos/mlhs/20706668/in/pool-filmfests/

The cinema chain has recently bought the building located at the rear of The State and rumours are that they intend to extend the stage and staging facilities to make this beautiful building more workable for live theatre - its current stage is triangular narrowing severely to a point upstage centre, and the fly lines get smaller as you move upstage. Also the backstage facilities and dressing rooms are small & cramped.
Despite this some major musicals have played in the venue as Sydney has few major venues surviving the office building boom in the 1960s and 1970s.

A very beautiful theatre! The very successful Proctors theatre in Schenectady,New York (USA),has recently enlarged its stage housing to accommodate the large sets for Broadway road shows. Wishing the State theatre a successful future.

Ive seen a number of different shows here over the years and it realy is a spectacular theatre. You get a true sense of occasion sitting in that auditorium. Its one of the rare examples of a mezzanine level sitting deep under the main balcony level. The Oriental in Chicago has a simular set up but is just 2 or 3 rows deep and private boxes where as the States is 8 rows and is a full size cirlce level- has to be seen in the flesgh to take it in. Click on the web site above and take the different virtual tours. I love this great theatre.

Message to Rebecca Pike,
The State Library of NSW, Macquarie St, Sydney, holds 54 of the drawings done to remodel the Hippodrome into the Capitol, 1926-1928.
Also held are images of the State Theatre, Melbourne and the Ambassadors Theatre, Perth, (based on the Capitol and State in Melbourne) but considered better.

This is an undated photo of the State Theater in Sydney.

More photos of the State Theater can be seen here.

set of interior photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8481360@N04/sets/72157602267155024/

Here is a 2008 shot of the entrance.

Wpw!! This is the most fabulous-looking theatre to date..both inside AND out.

photos taken Dec 2008
exterior
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3200341974/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3200345186/
front doors
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3199497879/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3199504417/
lobby
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3200350034/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/woody1969/3200347642/

I have attended many an event and screening at the State. I attended a couple of functions there back in the mid-80s, for what I can't remember, but various fully catered events with waiters etc. rushing around with trays of food and drink. The building was open for the guests to explore on their lonesome or as part of a group with guide. I did both for a couple of hours. It was fascinating. My only complaint with the State is that, despite the size of the auditorium, the screen is rather small. I always prefer to sit in the cheap seats and get as close to the image as possible to compensate! Haha!

And does anyone remember the State 2, the tiny downstairs theaterette?

According to the 1980s press,it cost a Million Dollars to clean the cinema to it's former glory and they used Amway products I would loved to have been the distributor.

If you are sitting upstars and not at the very front this is a terrible place to watch anything the stage is too small.