Capitol Theatre

The Capitol has a website with color photographs of the current interior (http://www.thecapitoltheatre.net).

If a theatre cant be used for movies or live shows this would be the next best thing. Except for leveling the floor, the theatre could be returned to movies in a heartbeat.

It unfortunately appears that the halls and auditorium have been painted over. Was this theatre originally dripping with brilliant color?

Divinity, the original coloring reminded of the Sistine Chapel, where I believe that you're represented on the ceiling.

This website has a 1926 interior photo of the Capitol Theater in Port Chester.

Is there a list anywhere on the internet of the bands that played at the Capitol in the 1970's? I'm just curious since I grew up in Port Chester but at the time I wasn't old enough to attend the concerts!

Thanks,
Sue

These are some bands that played the Capitol Theatre in the 1970's. Check internet for more.
Santana Capitol Theatre Port Chester NY 6/13/1970
John Lee Hooker Capitol Theatre Port Chester NY 6/13/1970
Grateful Dead Capitol Theatre Port Chester NY 2/18/71
Yes Tour Capitol Theatre Port Chester NY 7/15/71
Livingston Taylor Capitol Theatre Port Chester NY 9/29/1974
John Sebastian Capitol Theatre Port Chester NY 9/29/1974

Hi Lost Memory, Thanks for the great photo! Is there some way to contact the Westchester County Archives so that they can correct the misinformation that went with the photo? Thomas Lamb did not design the first Madison Square Garden, I believe that was McKim, Meade, and White, and that most of it was Stanford White's work. Also, the Capitol is certainly NOT "art deco".

Thomas Lamb did design the second Madison Square Garden, which was on Eighth Avenue between 49th & 50th Streets.

Ziggy....Go to this link. At the bottom of the page, click on "Your Opportunity to Question and Comment". That should send them an email.

Thanks Mike, I appreciate the help. Where did you get your information? Is it listed on the net?

I used the Google search engine sviola. For a search string enter Capitol Theatre Port Chester, NY bands. The search results will return many pages with bands that performed at the Capitol Theatre.

Thanks so much Mike!! Sue

Sue....You can narrow the search down further by adding 1970's. In other words, your search would look like this: Capitol Theater Port Chester, NY 1970's bands

I narrowed my search further but didn't come up with just one list but that's okay. I was really wondering if Humble Pie ever played at the Capitol. I recently saw Peter Frampton at the Palace Theater in Stamford and now I'm really into the 70's classic rock once again :). Sue

Sue....this is from a "Yes" website:

"Thursday, July 15, 1971-Capitol Theater, Portchester, N.Y.
Yes opened up for Humble Pie and headliner, Black Sabbath. No one had really ever heard much of Yes here until that night. A short, but outstanding set. Revolutionary!! Held their own with Humble Pie, a crowd favorite. Black Sabbath was a total downer and was literally booed off the stage! The next day not a copy of The Yes Album could be found anywhere... but I found one. It changed my musical life. The music that I create is heavily influenced still.Yes was all the music I ever loved rolled up into one band".

Hey Lost Memory, I contacted the Westchester Historical Society, and they sent me a nice reply and corrected the info on their website. So thanks to you, and Warren, for your input.

Wow, how cool is that?? All those bands were in my hometown! I'm proud to say I'm from Port Chester but unfortunately I was only 11 years old at the time all those bands were playing there and I wasn't really into rock until Frampton Comes Alive! came out. THAT album changed my life! In fact, I got the CD after seeing the concert last week. I was kind of shocked to see how old he got - kind of made my a little sad - I think I'm going through a midlife crisis or something! Sue

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984

Capitol Theater (added 1984 - Building - #84003426)
147-151 Westchester Ave., Port Chester
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Lamb,Thomas W.
Architectural Style: No Style Listed
Area of Significance: Architecture
Period of Significance: 1925-1949
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Recreation And Culture
Historic Sub-function: Theater
Current Function: Work In Progress

Thanks to Barry Goodkin's "Theatre Openings" feature in the latest issue of Marquee Magazine, I was surprised to find that the Capitol and Embassy were built simultaneously and opened in the same week, the 1,591-seat Embassy on August 12th, 1926, and the 1,748-seat Capitol on August 18th. Since both theatres were designed by Thomas W. Lamb, I wonder if they were originally under the same ownership? That was a busy New York summer for Thomas Lamb. His Ritz Theatre in Albany opened on August 11th, and his Savoy Theatre in Brooklyn on September 1st, according to Barry Goodkin's list.

For years I have kept it to myself but now with this renewed interest in the Capitol, I have put my escapades into a one act play...namely...I lived up the street at 408 Westchester Ave. My family ran a bakery, J.J. Cassone's, and I developed the slickest way to get into the Capitol - A Cake for the Band! It worked EVERY time and I got to hang out with the stars after I presented them with their cake. Howard and later, Eddie Claridge, loved it because their stars were happy. It got so easy and I got so cocky that I brought a friend, Doug Abdelnour (who ownd Bedford Photographic) to take pictures. We have Bonnie Raitt, Ginger Baker and Climax Blues Band. But I gave cakes to them all...even met Janis the night she wrote "Mercedes Benz" in Vahsen's next door.
This will all be documented in my one act musical, "The Cakeman Chronicles" to be performed in Carmel on April 26, 2008, at www.artsonthelake.org
Then at the Unknown Theater in Hollywood in October. And, btw, I go back to seeing double features there in the 50's and 60's. In the early 60's they had "monster" saturdays where they would show a dbl feature horror bill and in the middle would have guys dressed up as Frankenstein and Dracula running up and down the aisles. Hey, we got scared...it was new shtick then.

Hi Chris! My fiance and I are getting married at the Capitol Theatre in June. Any plans to take "The Cakeman Chronicles" on the road to Westchester? We would love to take our family and friends to a local performance.

Jen
jenniferlcollins@gmail.com

What a wonderful theater. It is to bad that the interior is all painted white. This seems to be quite common as a lot of old movie palaces that have become venues for other things have had their interiors white washed in some misguided attempt at good taste. The original architects not only oversaw the design of the building but also the interior including the colors used in the decorations, the fabrics used and the interior furnishings. Thereby giving a complete visual package. While the furnishings are usually long gone their is no reason why the colors of the paint can not be replicated. Paint is paint so why use all white?

This is the Capitol Theater building in 2008.

This is a May 1975 concert poster for the Capitol Theater.

The Capitol Theater opened 6 days after the Embassy Theatre on Aug. 18, 1926 with seating listed at the time at 1,748.