Capitol Theatre

201 State Street,
Madison, WI 53703

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Showing 1 - 25 of 28 comments

BigGreenBag
BigGreenBag on September 13, 2024 at 5:30 pm

Duck Soup Cinema still going strong but only 3x a year, this haloween is Caligari

Trolleyguy
Trolleyguy on October 1, 2022 at 7:46 am

Duck Soup Cinema has returned for Halloween: Duck Soup

Justwideman
Justwideman on September 16, 2021 at 6:49 am

It’s a shame there is no sign on it anymore like the old pics. Sidewalk trees are blocking it as well and will only grow bigger and block the view of this amazing building even more.

DavidZornig
DavidZornig on July 30, 2018 at 8:36 am

1939 photo added via Mike Mase Mason.

Trolleyguy
Trolleyguy on July 22, 2016 at 2:22 pm

The Capitol is currently undergoing an exterior refurbishment. Matching bricks have been located from demolition sites, and now the search is on for the blade marquee. It was supposedly put into storage in the 70s, but no one seems to know where. It would be a nice complement to the new sign on the Orpheum Theatre across the street.

LeslieB
LeslieB on January 24, 2014 at 11:28 am

In 1955, Ben Marcus bought the theatre. It had 2,250 seats. At that time, 2 stores occupied the first floor of the building. In 1956, he sold it to Stanley-Warner Theatres, which had been operating under a lease arrangement.

MiltonSmith
MiltonSmith on June 1, 2012 at 6:42 pm

I just saw this post. Ralph, is there any way you could post a picture of these wall torch lights? If not, could you e-mail me a pic?

ruricius
ruricius on March 11, 2012 at 3:04 pm

I’ve been carrying around about 15 of the original wall torch lights from the theatre for about 35 years now. In fact i just installed one today… still works (with a bit of WD40 to get the connections apart!). Ralph Mathisen UW ‘69, '73, '79

MiltonSmith
MiltonSmith on July 18, 2009 at 8:47 pm

Well, it sort of looks like an old theatre in the auditorium, but its not the old theatre. Its a new auditorium pretty much built to look like an old theatre based off the old theatre that was once there.

Its sad, but oh well, I guess it could have been worse, they could have gutted and gave it the bland look.

MiltonSmith
MiltonSmith on May 3, 2008 at 9:34 pm

That’s really about all that’s left of the Capitol Theatre…the facade.

MiltonSmith
MiltonSmith on April 18, 2007 at 7:16 pm

I honestly don’t think it would have mattered. There really is nothing left of the Capitol Theatre anyhow. Heck, I had gone to the Civic Center for years before I found out that there was actually another theatre in that spot previous to it being the Civic Center! There was nothing to really indicate it was an old theatre, to be honest. I’ve not been in it since becoming the Overture but I’m guessing it looks even less so now.

tmsenzig
tmsenzig on April 18, 2007 at 7:06 pm

At least this theatre was retained; original plans for Overture called for the complete demolition of the Capitol Theatre.

MiltonSmith
MiltonSmith on February 15, 2007 at 6:27 pm

I’m not sure how this could still be called the Capitol Theatre. After first being heavily modified when it became part of the Madison Civic Center and then further mangling as it was turned into part of the Madison Overture Center. The only way you can really tell it was ever the Capitol Theatre is from the interior of the auditorium and from the mangling they did converting it into part of the Overture, ripping out the seats under the balcony and turning it into a lobby, I’m not even sure you can tell it from that.

Very sad indeed.

tmsenzig
tmsenzig on October 9, 2006 at 12:42 pm

I saw the most recent in the Duck Soup Cinema series, with Dennis James accompanying at the Barton, and it was truly magical indeed, even though I was in a less than desirable seat in the balcony. I am planning on attending the next in the series coming up next month.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on August 11, 2006 at 3:42 pm

Here are the photos from the Wisconsin Historical Society, to augment the members' above contributions:
http://tinyurl.com/ma8rw
http://tinyurl.com/p35r7

vitaphone
vitaphone on January 3, 2006 at 11:03 am

I urge everybody to see Duck Soup Cinema in the future. As the projectionist at this venue since 1982 I can honestly say this is the best way to see a silent movie. We get our prints from all the major archives and they are the best available. We also run our prints in the proper aspect ratio and speed. All prints are 35mm.

carolgrau
carolgrau on November 14, 2005 at 5:21 am

I wish they all had carbons and reel to reel, then they would find out real quick just how many idiots they have in booths across the Country. Bring back the Real Projectionist.
Norelco

Trolleyguy
Trolleyguy on November 13, 2005 at 7:20 am

The Capitol should now be shown as open. It is a performing arts cnter and movie theater. They have kept the old carbon arc lamp houses and use reel -to-reel projectors because the owners of the classic films that will be shown there do not want them put on a platter system. They will hosting a silent film series accompanied by the Barton organ, called Duck Soup Cinema.

WPilgreen
WPilgreen on July 31, 2005 at 7:03 pm

The Wisconsin Historical Society has several photographs on its website of the Capitol/Oscar Mayer under construction in 1927, as well as other news and publicity photos from the 1930s.

WPilgreen
WPilgreen on July 31, 2005 at 7:02 pm

The Wisconsin Historical Society has several photographs on its website of the Capitol/Oscar Mayer under construction in 1927, as well as other news and publicity photos from the 1930s.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on May 7, 2005 at 4:28 pm

Opened as the Capitol Theatre on 20th January 1928 with the movie “Her Wild Oats” starring Colleen Moore plus vaudeville acts. It was operated by Warner Bros. and later by RKO-Stanley Warner who sold it to the City of Madison for $650,000 in July 1974.

The firm Hardy, Holzman & Pfiefer designed the restoration when it became the Oscar Meyer Theatre.