The Hawaii Theatre, located at the entrance to Chinatown in downtown Honolulu, is off the beaten track for most people that visit the island state. This gem of the Pacific is at 1130 Bethel Street.

HISTORY OF THE THEATRE

The Hawaii Theatre opened on September 6, 1922 and was the culmination of the dream of the Consolidated Amusement Company. Consolidated was founded in 1913 as a partnership between Joel C. Cohen and John H. Magoon. The Hawaii Theatre was conceived as the flagship of their theatre chain and construction was to be top-rate. There was to be a double cantilevered balcony, steel reinforced concrete foundation, an air cooling system with vents under each one of the 1700 seats, and scenery by Edwin Flagg, America's foremost designer

The theatre was built in the days when Hawaii was still a territory of the United States and statehood was 37 years away. The price of admission was set at $1.50 for loge seats, $1.00 for orchestra, and 50 cents for the balcony. The Three Musketeers, with Douglas Fairbanks, screened to a packed house the day after the grand opening. With the advent of talking pictures in 1929, the Hawaii was wired for sound and became the first theatre in the territory so equipped. The first talking picture to be shown at the theatre was Showboat in December of 1929, starring Laura LaPlante.

With the development of Waikiki Beach, the entertainment center of the city gradually shifted away from the downtown area where theatres were deteriorating -- some were closed and razed. The Hawaii had a leaky roof and suffered considerable termite damage. It was listed on the Register of National Historic Places in 1978, but in 1984, after 62 years in operation, the Hawaii Theatre closed its doors. Consolidated Amusements declined to renew its lease on the property.

RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD

During the darkest days of the Hawaii Theatre, there were two groups of citizens that stepped forward to save the theatre from demolition. The Aloha Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society was interested in saving the 4/16 Robert Morton organ. There was also a second group of volunteers led by Claire Engle that were interested in saving the theatre itself. The Hawaii Theatre Center was formed as a non-profit organization with the goal of restoring and operating the theatre.

Consolidated Theatres donated the organ and furnishings in 1986 so that the theatre could be operated on a limited basis while plans were underway to restore it to its glory of 1922.

In 1987, a major cash contribution was given to the theatre by John H. Magoon, Jr., in memory of his father, who had taken him to the theatre's grand opening in 1922 when he was six years old. A short time later, the Hawaii Theatre Center announced that it had purchased the theatre from the Bishop Estate and was planning a total restoration.

In 1989, the city of Honolulu acquired three properties adjoining the theatre and razed them to make way for the Chinatown Gateway Plaza. It is a park that marks the entrance to the city's Chinatown area.

Instrumental in the restoration of the Hawaii Theatre was the Conrad Schmidt Studios of New Berlin, Wisconsin. Conrad Schmidt has extensive experience in fine arts decoration and was charged with the restoration of the proscenium mural, 40 percent of which had been relegated to the dumpster. The source of restoration of the mural was a photo taken by an ATOS member during one of the concerts held at the theatre. Malcolm Holzman of New York was chosen as the architect and restoration work on the theatre began in March 1992. The Hawaii Theatre reopened on April 28, 1996.

HISTORY OF THE ORGAN

The organ currently installed in the Hawaii Theatre is a 4/16 Robert Morton. However, it is not the original instrument that was installed when the theatre opened in 1922. The Waikiki Theatre in Honolulu was built with provisions for an organ, but it operated for several years without one. Some time later, it was decided that the theatre needed an organ.

Consolidated Amusement Company consulted with the appointed house organist at the Waikiki to determine which organ would be more well suited to this theatre and the decision was made to move the original Robert Morton from the Hawaii to the Waikiki in 1936. This left the Hawaii Theatre without an organ. However, a Robert Morton organ had been installed in the nearby Princess Theatre. With changing economic conditions, the Princess Theatre was about to be razed in 1969. The relocation of the Robert Morton organ from the Princess Theatre was accomplished by the Aloha Chapter of the ATOS. The console was literally rolled down the street from the Princess to the Hawaii Theatre.

The restoration of the Robert Morton organ was included in the original restoration plans for the Hawaii Theatre. In the early 1990s, Allen Miller and Associates were hired to plan and execute the organ restoration. Overall, the plan designed by Allen Miller was in three phases. The first phase was to restore the console and add multiplexing. This work brought the console up to today's standards for touring artists. Among the console improvements made was the installation of a multi-level memory capture system, with a memory card that organists could use to store piston combinations. Restoration of pipe work and chests was also begun around this time.

Russell Holmes rededicated the organ at the grand reopening of the theatre in 1996. The organ has also been used successfully each year with the local chapter of the Barbershoppers. Current house organists are John McCreary, Don Connover, and Bob Alder. The organ is maintained by William Petty Organ Services in Honolulu.

Today the Hawaii Theatre stands as a shinning example of a community effort to save a historic landmark. The gilded columns, restored proscenium mural, and the majestic atmosphere rival any theatre of its vintage in the country.

Copyright © 2002 The American Theatre Organ Society, Inc. All rights reserved.