Capitol Theatre, Sydney facts for kids
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 Capitol Theatre
Location in Sydney
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| Location | 3-15 Campbell Street, Haymarket, Sydney central business district, City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Coordinates | 33°52′47″S 151°12′24″E / 33.879675°S 151.206744°E |
| Public transit |  Capitol Square Light Rail |
| Owner | Foundation Theatres |
| Type | Theatre |
| Capacity | 2,094 |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1893–1928 |
| Opened | 1916 |
| Architect | Henry Eli White and John Eberson |
| Website | |
| www.capitoltheatre.com.au | |
| Official name | Capitol Theatre |
| Type | State heritage (built) |
| Designated | 2 April 1999 |
| Reference no. | 391 |
| Type | Theatre |
| Category | Recreation and entertainment |
The Capitol Theatre is a famous old theatre in Haymarket, Sydney, Australia. It's a special building because of its long history. It was designed by Henry Eli White and John Eberson. The theatre was built between 1893 and 1928.
This amazing building is officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. This means it's an important historical site. The Capitol Theatre used to be a circus, a market, and even a special kind of movie theatre. Today, it's owned by Foundation Theatres.
Contents
History
The land where the Capitol Theatre stands has always been a place for fun and entertainment in Sydney. Way back in the early 1800s, it was a market where people sold fresh food and hay. That's why the area is called "Haymarket."
Early Days as a Market
In the 1880s, Sydney needed a bigger market for fruits and vegetables. So, in 1891, the city council decided to build a new market right here. The main builder was Alexander Allen. The new market, called the New Belmore Markets, opened in July 1893. It was designed by George McRae. The building had many arched openings facing the streets.
However, the New Belmore Markets didn't make much money. It was too far from Darling Harbour, which was a busy port. Because of this, the council started looking for other ways to use the building.
From Market to Circus
In 1912, the market building was rented to Wirth Brothers. They used it as a circus and a hippodrome, which is a place for horse shows and other acts. The council decided to change the market building into a permanent circus venue.
The Wirth Brothers Hippodrome officially opened in April 1916. It hosted exciting circus acts with animals like elephants and seals. They also had theatre and vaudeville shows, which were popular variety acts. Even though it was successful for about ten years, the Hippodrome eventually ran into money problems.
Becoming a Grand Theatre
By 1926, Wirth's decided to turn the building into a "picture palace," which was a fancy movie theatre. Henry Eli White, a very skilled theatre designer, created the plans. He even visited America to see the newest theatre designs. There, he worked with architect John Eberson.
Eberson helped design an "atmospheric auditorium." This meant the inside of the theatre looked like an outdoor scene, with a ceiling painted to look like the sky. The theatre was changed to make room for this special ceiling and a new seating area. The Capitol Theatre officially opened on 7 April 1928.
In 1929, the theatre was updated to show "talkies" (movies with sound). But during the Great Depression, the theatre faced money troubles and closed in November 1932.
Restoration and Today
The Capitol Theatre reopened in April 1933, showing older movies. Over time, some of its beautiful decorations were removed. In 1972, the theatre was used for the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. More of its original decorations were taken out then.
However, in the 1990s, the Capitol Theatre got a huge makeover. It was carefully restored to look like it did in 1928. This big project cost over $30 million! Today, the theatre is back to its original grand style.
Description
The Capitol Theatre is a brick building with stone decorations. It has fancy terracotta designs and tiled panels. Inside, it was later transformed into a special "atmospheric" theatre.
The current theatre was designed by R. H. Broderick. It was first meant to be a hippodrome for circus shows. Later, architect Henry White changed the inside to look like an Italian garden or town square. It even has an indoor imitation courtyard, which is the only one left in Sydney. The building is listed on the Register of the National Estate.
The Capitol Theatre was a beautiful "atmospheric" movie palace for many years. After a difficult period in the 1970s and 1980s, it had a huge two-year restoration in 1995.
Condition
As of October 1997, the building was in excellent physical condition.
Modifications and dates
- 1893 – Belmore markets finished.
- 1913–1917 – Changed and rebuilt into the Hippodrome.
- 1927–1928 – Changed into the Capitol Theatre.
- 1933–1972 – Inside decorations were slowly removed.
- 1972 – Atmospheric and decorative parts were removed and changed.
- 1990s – Restored and rebuilt to its original look.
Productions
The Capitol Theatre has hosted many famous shows and performers over the years. Here are some of them:
- 1972 – Jesus Christ Superstar (First time shown in Australia)
- 1982 – Iron Maiden (4 shows)
- 1995 – West Side Story, Miss Saigon
- 1997 – West Side Story, Bruce Springsteen, Porgy and Bess, My Fair Lady
- 1998 – Stomp, Kylie Minogue, Jerry Seinfeld
- 1999 – Blondie, Billy Connolly, Chicago
- 2000 – Sting
- 2001 – Stars of the Bolshoi
- 2002 – The Royal Ballet
- 2003 – Hair, The Lion King
- 2005 – Fiddler on the Roof
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- 2006 – Diana Ross, Chris Isaak
- 2007 – Billy Crystal, Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, Barry Humphries: Back with a Vengeance, Paris Opera Ballet, Billy Elliot the Musical (First time shown in Australia)
- 2008 – High School Musical on Stage!
- 2009 – Guys and Dolls, French & Saunders Farewell Tour, Seth MacFarlane, Wicked
- 2010 – Fame
- 2011 – Tap Dogs, Shen Yun, The Boy From Oz, Riverdance, Mary Poppins
- 2012 – Love Never Dies, Shen Yun, The Nutcracker on Ice, Barry Humphries: Eat, Pray, Laugh!, The Eifman Ballet: Anna Karenina and Tchaikovsky, Jose Feliciano, Paul Kelly: Conversations with Ghosts, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
- 2013 – The Paris Opera Ballet: Giselle, The Addams Family, The Lion King
- 2014 – 2014 Helpmann Awards, Wicked
- 2015 – Shen Yun, Swan Lake, Les Miserables, 2015 Helpmann Awards, Lord of the Dance, Cats, The Sound of Music
- 2016 – Fiddler on the Roof, Arj Barker: Get In My Head, The Imperial Bells of China, Cabaret de Paris, Aladdin (First time shown in Australia)
- 2017 – Kinky Boots, 2017 Helpmann Awards, My Fair Lady, Madama Butterfly, The Sleeping Beauty, Alice's Adventure in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz
- 2018 – Mamma Mia!, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 2018 Helpmann Awards, Swan Lake on Ice, Stomp, Irish Celtic, Jersey Boys
- 2019 – Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (First time shown in Australia), Chicago, School of Rock
- 2020 – Shen Yun*, Anh Do*, The Little Prince*, Penn & Teller* Menopause The Musical*, Disney's Frozen (First time shown in Australia)
- 2021 – Come from Away
- 2022 - 9 to 5, Moulin Rouge!
- 2023 - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Beauty and the Beast
Indicates current production
*Indicates the production was cancelled because of rules during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Transport
It's easy to get to the Capitol Theatre!
- The Capitol Square light rail station is right behind the theatre.
- Central railway station, Sydney is the closest train station. It's about a five-minute walk from the theatre.
Heritage listing
The Capitol Theatre is very important because it's the only "atmospheric theatre" in Australia that is still mostly in its original condition.
The building's structure has been changed and rebuilt many times over the years. First, it was the New Belmore Markets in 1892-93. Then, it became a permanent circus venue (Hippodrome) for Wirth Brothers in 1913-16. Finally, it was turned into an atmospheric theatre in 1927-28.
The Capitol Theatre was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. This means it meets special requirements:
The place shows the history of New South Wales. The building's history of changing from a market to a circus, and then to a theatre, shows how entertainment and buildings have changed over time.
The place is beautiful and shows great design. The Capitol Theatre, along with other nearby old buildings, creates a special and lively area. It has a unique look and feel.
The place is rare or special in New South Wales. The Capitol is the only atmospheric theatre in Australia that is still mostly complete. This makes it very unique!
See also
- Sydney Lyric
