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Home » Theater Guide » Location » United States » Utah » Salt Lake City » Capitol Theatre
Also known as Orpheum Theatre

Capitol Theatre

Salt Lake City, UT
50 West 200 South
, Salt Lake City, UT 84101 United States
(map)
801.323.6800
Status: Open
Screens: Single Screen
Style: Italian Renaissance
Function: Performing Arts
Seats: 1881
Chain: Unknown
Architect: G. Albert Lansburgh, R.E. Powers
Firm: Unknown
Capitol Theatre
Present-day exterior view of the Capitol Theatre
Photo courtesy of Grant Smith
Located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, the Capitol Theatre opened on August 2, 1913.

Designed by Albert G. Lansburgh, who had graduated from the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, the Capitol Theatre was orginally built as part of the Orpheum Theatre chain.

It utilized the most modern mechanical contrivances of its time, bringing advancements in safety and comfort through such features as fireproof and earthquake-resistant construction and air conditioning.

The building was remodeled in 1929 as a motion picture theater and operated successfully for decades. In 1976, the theater was purchased by Salt Lake County and restored closely to its original form.

Today, this historic landmark is the home of Ballet West, Utah opera, and Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company. The theater also hosts world class Broadway productions community arts education programs.

Related Websites

Capitol Theatre, Salt Lake City (Official)
Contributed by Grant Smith

YOUR COMMENTS

 
Grant, do they still have the large overhead CAPITOL sign that stretched across 200 South?
posted by Chuck1231 on Jul 30, 2004 at 10:45am
NO
posted by ghamilton on Mar 11, 2005 at 8:19pm
The overhead sign was dismantled several years ago and moved to the Trolley Square shopping center on 7th East, with the lettering changed to read ... "TROLLEY SQUARE"
posted by Ivan M. Lincoln on Mar 20, 2005 at 7:52pm
There are photos of the Capitol Theater here.
posted by Lost Memory on Sep 13, 2005 at 12:59pm
Thanks for the link to Utah Theater website w/the pics.Grant Smith has done such a great job with this web site.He deserves mucho credit for what he has done.YOU-Mr.Memory are the most remarkable font of facts and pictures.You obviously do not need to up the ginko yet.
posted by ghamilton on Sep 13, 2005 at 2:00pm
I'm happy that you enjoyed those photos ghamilton. The Utah website is a great site. I'm going to link to alot of photos there. I just have a knack for finding things. I could probably find the Lost Continent of Atlantis if I tried hard enough. It is still lost, isn't it? :)
posted by Lost Memory on Sep 13, 2005 at 2:22pm
I'm far less fortunate than you.I just stumble across things as I wander the countryside.Challenge for you.There is a huge hulk of an old theater in Weldon,NC,used sometime in the past as a church.What?
posted by ghamilton on Sep 13, 2005 at 3:08pm
Mr. G....I found a Gen-Website where someone mentioned a Bijou theater located in Weldon, NC. The theater closed in the late 50's. No address given and no mention of what happened to the theater after it closed.
posted by Lost Memory on Sep 19, 2005 at 6:48am
It's huge and it sits all boarded up and painted one gray color.
posted by ghamilton on Sep 19, 2005 at 8:07am
Sounds like your describing my house. :) Seriously, we need someone with a FDYbook to look up this theater and verify the name.
posted by Lost Memory on Sep 19, 2005 at 8:28am
The Capitol Theatre's original Wurlitzer pipe organ, still in-place, is a 2 manual 10 rank style H without a piano, opus 1689 shipped from North Tonawanda, NY to the theatre on 7/30/27. When the theatre was restored many years ago, a Trumpet was added to the organ's specification giving the organ 11 ranks of pipes. The Wurlitzer shipment list shows the theatre as "Orpheum" in 1927.
posted by Tom DeLay on Oct 4, 2005 at 1:48pm
Here is the official website:
http://www.slco.org/fi/facilities/capitol/capitol.html
posted by ken mc on Feb 12, 2006 at 3:58pm
I have to say I was pretty disappointed with the restoration Salt Lake County did. I saw a stage production in 2003 (granted 25 years after the restoration) but it really seemed to have been a refurbishment instead of a restoration. Bottom line the county did the work on the cheap and it shows.
posted by grimbasement on Dec 15, 2006 at 8:32am
This is a photo of the Capitol Theater.

posted by Lost Memory on Nov 15, 2007 at 8:14pm
I don't know if this is the correct theater for this news story although it says also known as Orpheum at the top of the page.....

(Feb. 7, 1931) LA Times

THEATER'S HEAD DIES FROM FALL
SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 6. (AP)---- Grant Pemberton, 34-year-old manager of the R.-K.-O-Orpheum Theater here, died today from injuries suffered two days ago when he slipped from the roof of the theater and plunged three stories to the pavement. Pemberton was supervising hanging of a sign from the roof when workmen said he apparently became dizzy and fell as he attempted to descend a ladder.
posted by vokoban on Mar 21, 2008 at 10:43am
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Orpheum Theatre ** (added 1976 - Building - #76002257)
Also known as Capitol Theatre
46 W. 2nd South, Salt Lake City

Historic Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Lansburgh,Albert G.
Architectural Style: Renaissance, Other
Area of Significance: Architecture, Performing Arts
Period of Significance: 1900-1924, 1925-1949
Owner: Local Gov't
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Theater
Current Function: Commerce/Trade, Recreation And Culture
Current Sub-function: Theater

posted by Lost Memory on May 23, 2008 at 9:45am
I don't think tickets.com is the official website. The one I posted has been changed:
http://tinyurl.com/5qxqeh
posted by ken mc on May 23, 2008 at 9:59am
I don't think tickets.com is the official website for any theater. LOL

There was another Orpheum Theater in Salt Lake City. Its listed here as the Promised Valley Playhouse. Since the LA Times article posted on Mar 21, 2008 is from 1931, it most likely applies to this theater.

posted by Lost Memory on May 23, 2008 at 10:18am
Here is a nice recent photo of the Capitol Theater.

posted by Lost Memory on Oct 22, 2008 at 1:31pm
Two more photos are here.

posted by Lost Memory on Feb 18, 2009 at 7:09pm
Here is what is probably the most official website - - The Capitol is park of the Salt Lake County Center for the Arts:

http://www.finearts.slco.org/facilities/capitol/capitol.html

posted by spectrum on May 26, 2009 at 6:43am
Here is a 1947 photo:
http://tinyurl.com/kvboon
posted by ken mc on Jul 26, 2009 at 10:21pm
Here's an updated link to the one posted by spectrum on May26, 2009:
http://www.slccfa.org/venue_capitol.asp
posted by CWalczak on Jul 26, 2009 at 11:04pm
What source is the 1947 photo from? Looks like it is from the Utah Historical Society photo collection.
posted by Chuck1231 on Jul 27, 2009 at 1:04am
Good luck getting an answer to that question Chuck. The only answer that I've ever received has been "The Sounds of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel.

posted by Lost Memory on Jul 27, 2009 at 7:37am
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