I chose the following only because my niece's daughter happened to be in the play the Music Man ..a little event my son took me out to see last night.
First, a little background for you- (you can go straight to the pic's if you like)
The Palace was built and opened in 1925 at the peak of the heyday for American movie palaces. It was originally part of a small family of theatres owned and operated by Adam C. Baker, a dashing Hawaiian gentleman who was the nephew of the last royal governors of the island of Hawaii. Adam Baker had been involved in the theatre business since the early 1900s and was a well-known showman in Hawaii.
The Palace was built on a scale that had never been seen outside of the capital city of Honolulu, and it was always the grandest theatre on all the neighbor islands. One unusual feature was that the Palace’s structure was entirely of redwood, imported from the Pacific Northwest. Fourteen huge redwood columns supported the wooden roof trusses which span the entire width of the building. The roof, sides and back were sheathed in corrugated sheet metal, a very typical construction style in tropical Hawaii. The building’s facade is an elegant neo-classical design executed in stucco with wood molding accents.
The Palace was designed to take maximum advantage of its limited property size. The stadium seating arrangement (pre-dating the 'discovery' of stadium seating by modern theatre operators in the 1990s) allowed for unobstructed sight lines, while giving the Palace a very spacious lobby. Designed and built in the days before electronic sound amplification systems, the Palace boasts excellent natural acoustics for live musical groups and drama. One of the most enchanting, nostalgic, and thrilling experiences is the music of the original Robert-Morton pipe organ in concert or before a movie presentation.
Today, the grand theatre having gone over constant "make-overs" is still a fixture in the Hilo community and provides a wide range of art films, live theater productions, and concerts by both local and visiting musicians throughout the year.
Inside actually looks better than the outside as well as the entryway..
They could really use an A.C. ha-
This is my niece Sunny with her two kids- Kealani (who played Amaryllis, here and Isaiah..he was the usher. This is currently playing in Hilo's historic Palace Theater (the last weekend). (Mahalo Byron for your terrific shots)-
Lastly, This organ always intrigued me..well (my son and I were sitting in front)..though I didn't take really much of any pictures of the actors as flash was discouraged, but this is the famous pipe organ. It entertained thousands of movie-goers for more than 60yrs, then it was restored and reinstalled in Hilo's historic Palace Theater-
This shot reflects Hilo Bay in the window along Bayfront-
Aloha to all-
16 comments:
Oh, what a beautiful journey for me Gina. The play must have been wonderful just by the looks of it. Thanks for the show.
These old theaters are wonderful. I don't think that I've seen one made out of redwood before. It's nice to read the history of the Palace and nice to have a peek inside.
I also enjoyed the reflections.
Mahalo!
I found this very interesting. Thanks for sharing it. PS. The kids looked really cute.
Great post Gina! I'm always interested about the history of anything in particular. It makes us reflect of what had happened in the past. Your family must mean to be born in theaters. I like the organ which reminds me of our oldest Bamboo Organ back in my home country.
And hey, a friend of mine has brought me a book of postcards from O'ahu. Now I have plenty to catch up with things to do. My homeduties are back to their shelves again. I better act before they piled up! lol
This is a really neat post. What a great old theatre, I love that it has been preserved. How fun to see your family perform here. Love the reflection shot - what a beautiful sight for the people who work in that shop. Kathy
Wonderful post about the old theatre, seeing your neice's daughter int eh play must have been a thrill for the family. How exciting! I enjoyed the photos and the reflection shot.
It is interesting to read about the history. And a family of great talents!
Now don't ya go assuming anthing..we're not all that talented!(maybe I'm speaking for myself)..ha ha-
What an interesting history lesson and how cool that the Palace Theater is still entertain people after all these years. You're photos were great, but I sure am glad I didn't skip straight to them.
Hello dear friend.
So nice for featuring the historical theater and the play. Your family are very talented and good looking. Nice reflections too, I cant wait to see more of the great places out there. I haven't been in Hawaii:)
Regards and enjoy the rest of the weekend .
Have wonderful week ahead.
(PS. I was here early in the morning my time, but so tired already. My weekend is a very hectic one. Living hurriedly lately. No more beauty sleep:)).
I like the night shot with the red lighting best. Great job.
Oh, they're pollen grains! I thought you had put snowflakes on your blog!
The Music Man is one of my all time favorite musicals, I saw the movie over and over! Thanks for the visit, and for the reminder!
Oh well, we are just playing with our imagination. to the games of my girls, "let's pretend"...that's their game when they were little.
"let's pretend that we are nurses" sort of stuff.
i like your humour.
What a great piece of history that is still kept alive! Enjoyed the pictures. Sounds like a wonderful evening! -Tammy
Thanks for posting this!XXOO
Loved the history...and beautiful family!
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