State Theatre (Sydney)
Encyclopedia
The State Theatre is a heritage-listed theatre, located in Market Street
, in the city centre of Sydney, Australia.
The Sydney Film Festival is hosted there for two weeks each June, and has been there since 1974.
theatre chain had purchased the land in 1926. The cost blew out to over a million pounds, and the theatre opened with the Ernst Lubitsch
film The Patriot (1928 film)
on 7 June 1929. Seating 2775, it was eclipsed in size by its namesake, the State Theatre
in Melbourne, which sat 3371. However, it was much more ornate, having been lavishly designed by Sydney architect Henry Eli White who based his work on that of American architect John Eberson
in the United States, and invited the latter to work with him on the theatre in Australia. The theatre incorporates such eclectic elements as Gothic
, Italian
and Art deco
design.
It contains a 21 Rank Wurlitzer
organ, one of three with the other two residing at and the (now demolished) Regent Theatre
nearby and the State Theatre in Melbourne, and a Koh-i-Noor
cut crystal chandelier which is the second largest on earth, weighing over four tonne
s. The interior also included paintings by William Dobell
and Julian Ashton
. The building is listed on the Register of the National Estate
.
A gothic-styled shopping block 11 storeys high was opened above the theatre in 1930, but later converted to offices.
A newsreel
theatre, the first in Australia, was opened in the basement of the building in 1932. It later became a screening room.
The State Theatre held premiers of blockbusters in the 1960s and 70s, one of the most successful of which was Count Yorga, Vampire. In 1974, the theatre played host to the Sydney Film Festival
for the first time, where it has remained ever since.
Live theatre returned to the theatre from the 1990s, with acts such as Shirley Maclaine
, Shirley Bassey
, Whoopi Goldberg
, and Harry Connick Jnr, and musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar
and Evita.
Market Street, Sydney
Market Street is a cross street in the Central Business District of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It runs from Sussex Street near Darling Harbour in the west, to Elizabeth Street at St. James railway station in the east....
, in the city centre of Sydney, Australia.
The Sydney Film Festival is hosted there for two weeks each June, and has been there since 1974.
Description and history
Located in Market Street on the site former offices of the Evening News newspaper, building commenced on the State Theatre in 1927 with an estimated construction budget of £400,000. The Greater UnionGreater Union
Greater Union, Birch Carroll and Coyle, Event Cinemas, Skycity Cinemas and Damodar Village Cinemas together form a chain of cinema multiplexes across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji...
theatre chain had purchased the land in 1926. The cost blew out to over a million pounds, and the theatre opened with the Ernst Lubitsch
Ernst Lubitsch
Ernst Lubitsch was a German-born film director. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; as his prestige grew, his films were promoted as having "the Lubitsch touch."In 1947 he received an Honorary Academy Award for his...
film The Patriot (1928 film)
The Patriot (1928 film)
The Patriot is a 1928 semi-biographical film that was directed by Ernst Lubitsch and released by Paramount Pictures. The film was written by Hanns Kräly ; it is an adaptation of several different plays: Paul I by Dmitri Merezhkovsky, Der Patriot by Alfred Neumann, and The Patriot by Ashley Dukes...
on 7 June 1929. Seating 2775, it was eclipsed in size by its namesake, the State Theatre
State Theatre (Melbourne)
Melbourne's original State Theatre was built in 1929 to seat 3,371 patrons and is situated on Flinders Street. It was conceived as an "atmospheric auditorium", a novelty in Melbourne at the time. Another notable feature was the dual-console Wurlitzer organ, the first to be built "west of Chicago",...
in Melbourne, which sat 3371. However, it was much more ornate, having been lavishly designed by Sydney architect Henry Eli White who based his work on that of American architect John Eberson
John Eberson
John Eberson was an American architect best known for his movie palace designs in the atmospheric theatre fashion.Born in Czernowitz, Austro-Hungarian Empire , Eberson went to highschool in Dresden and studied electrical engineering in Vienna. He arrived in the United States in 1901 and at first...
in the United States, and invited the latter to work with him on the theatre in Australia. The theatre incorporates such eclectic elements as Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
, Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
design.
It contains a 21 Rank Wurlitzer
Wurlitzer
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
organ, one of three with the other two residing at and the (now demolished) Regent Theatre
Regent Theatre (Sydney)
The Regent Theatre was a heritage-listed theatre in Sydney, Australia, which was demolished in 1988.-Description and history:The Regent Theatre was Hoyts' showcase "picture palace" in Sydney, designed by the distinguished architect Cedric Ballantyne and built by James Porter & Sons.Located at...
nearby and the State Theatre in Melbourne, and a Koh-i-Noor
Koh-i-Noor
The Kōh-i Nūr which means "Mountain of Light" in Persian, also spelled Koh-i-noor, Koh-e Noor or Koh-i-Nur, is a 105 carat diamond that was once the largest known diamond in the world. The Kōh-i Nūr originated in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India along with its double, the Darya-ye Noor...
cut crystal chandelier which is the second largest on earth, weighing over four tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s. The interior also included paintings by William Dobell
William Dobell
Sir William Dobell, OBE was an Australian artist .The electoral Division of Dobell is named after him.- Life :...
and Julian Ashton
Julian Ashton
Julian Rossi Ashton was an Australian artist and teacher, known for his support of the Heidelberg School and for his influential art school in Sydney....
. The building is listed on the Register of the National Estate
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
.
A gothic-styled shopping block 11 storeys high was opened above the theatre in 1930, but later converted to offices.
A newsreel
Newsreel
A newsreel was a form of short documentary film prevalent in the first half of the 20th century, regularly released in a public presentation place and containing filmed news stories and items of topical interest. It was a source of news, current affairs and entertainment for millions of moviegoers...
theatre, the first in Australia, was opened in the basement of the building in 1932. It later became a screening room.
The State Theatre held premiers of blockbusters in the 1960s and 70s, one of the most successful of which was Count Yorga, Vampire. In 1974, the theatre played host to the Sydney Film Festival
Sydney Film Festival
The Sydney Film Festival is an annual film festival held in the Australian city of Sydney and is held over 12 days in June. The competitive film festival draws international and local attention, with films being showcased in several venues across the city centre and includes features,...
for the first time, where it has remained ever since.
Live theatre returned to the theatre from the 1990s, with acts such as Shirley Maclaine
Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine is an American film and theater actress, singer, dancer, activist and author, well-known for her beliefs in new age spirituality and reincarnation. She has written a large number of autobiographical works, many dealing with her spiritual beliefs as well as her Hollywood career...
, Shirley Bassey
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
, Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
, and Harry Connick Jnr, and musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
and Evita.
External links
- http://statetheatre.com.au/