Circle Star Theater facts for kids

The Circle Star Theater was a famous place for live shows in San Carlos, California. It was open from 1964 to 1993. What made this theater special was its round stage that could spin. This design meant that none of the 3,743 seats were more than 50 feet away from the performers.

The stage was a true "theater in the round." It could rotate in either direction without stopping. This was possible because of a special electrical system using slip rings and brushes. This system sent power and sound to the moving stage.

History of the Theater

A Star-Studded Beginning

The idea for the Circle Star Theater was to create a dinner theater, where people could eat a meal while watching a show. The project got support from famous celebrities like Debbie Reynolds, Steve Allen, and Sammy Davis Jr..

Construction began on March 9, 1964. The theater was built on a large piece of land with a parking lot for 1,000 cars. It cost $2.8 million to build, which would be a lot more money today. The theater officially opened on October 13, 1964, with the popular musical My Fair Lady.

The Golden Years

In 1971, the theater was bought by a company called Marquee Entertainment. They brought in many famous Las Vegas performers like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Liberace. To attract more people, they also booked popular Motown artists. This made the theater a place where you could see all kinds of different music and shows.

The theater also hosted traveling Broadway shows. One famous play was The Odd Couple, starring actors Ernest Borgnine and Don Rickles.

The Final Curtain

Over the years, the theater changed owners a few times. In the early 1990s, the theater began to have problems. The last shows happened in December 1993 before the building was closed down.

Sadly, the building was damaged in a fire on April 18, 1997. By then, there were already plans to tear it down. The theater was demolished to make way for new office buildings and a hotel. Today, the company Softbank has offices on the site, and the hotel is an Extended Stay America.

Famous Performers

Many famous musicians, actors, and comedians performed on the Circle Star's rotating stage. Here are some of the well-known names who appeared there: