Regent on Broadway facts for kids
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| Location | Palmerston North, New Zealand |
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| Owner | Palmerston North City Council |
| Capacity | 1393 |
| Construction | |
| Renovated | May 1998 |
| Architect | Charles Hollinshed |
| Designated: | 11 November 1989 |
| Reference #: | 5104 |
The Regent on Broadway is a fantastic theatre located in Palmerston North, New Zealand. It's called the Regent because it's the main theatre on Broadway Avenue! This big theatre is a popular spot for shows and events in the city.
Contents
A Look Back: The Regent's History
Building a Dream
The Regent Theatre was designed in 1929 by an architect named Charles Hollinshed from Sydney. It officially opened its doors to the public on 4 July 1930. Imagine how exciting that must have been!
From Movies to More
When it first opened, the Regent was a cinema and an opera house. People would go there to watch films and enjoy live performances. However, as movies changed over the years, the theatre eventually closed in 1991.
Saving the Regent
In 1992, the Palmerston North City Council (PNCC) took over the building. They swapped it with the previous owner for another building called the Opera House. This was a big step to save the Regent!
In 1993, a huge effort began to fully restore the theatre. The PNCC gave NZ$10,000,000, and the community helped by donating NZ$1,700,000. The New Zealand Lotteries Grant Board also gave NZ$1,000,000. Thanks to all this support, the Regent could be brought back to life!
Inside the Beautiful Theatre
During the renovations in the 1990s, many parts of the theatre were carefully cleaned and fixed. The main room where shows happen, called the auditorium, has cool painted panels on its roof.
The staircase leading to the upstairs area (the mezzanine floor) has soft carpet in the middle and shiny marble on the sides. The main entrance area, called the lobby, has special carpet. This carpet was made to look exactly like the original floor from when the theatre first opened!
Up on the mezzanine floor, you can see beautiful carved kowhaiwhai panels in the ceiling. These are traditional Māori designs. The building is so special that Heritage New Zealand lists it as a Category 1 Historic Place.
The Regent Today: A Busy Place
A Top Performing Arts Centre
Today, the Regent On Broadway is known as one of the best performing arts centres in New Zealand. It's often compared to famous places like the Wellington Town Hall and the Auckland Town Hall.
Plenty of Space
The auditorium can hold a lot of people – 1393 in total! There are 721 seats on the ground floor and 672 seats in the circle (the upstairs area). For special events like dinners or ballroom dancing, some of the downstairs seats can even be removed to create more space.
Behind the Scenes
Next to the main auditorium, there are several small dressing rooms for performers. There are also larger dressing rooms upstairs. The theatre also has a big function room, which is great for parties or meetings.
There's even a rehearsal studio! This studio is used for many different activities, from ballet dancing to practicing for stage shows. Because of all these different spaces and activities, the Regent is one of New Zealand's busiest venues. It's the only large theatre in the greater Palmerston North area.
