|
About The Capitol Theatre
Our Facility:
 The Capitol Theatre opened December 10, 1928 as part of the Kallet chain. Designed by Leon H. Lempert, Jr., it operated as a first run movie house until it closed in the 1970s. The Capitol reopened as a civic center in 1985, and recently the original installation historic Moller theatre organ was returned to working condition. It is presently maintained by the Rome Grand Theatre Organ Society, a chapter of the ATOS. In 2002, a then little-known event called Capitolfest was launched -- a series of silent movies in 35mm with theater organ accompaniment featuring such internationally known organists as Philip Carli and Dennis James. Today, Capitolfest is attended by movie lovers from around the world!
Our Programming:
   The Capitol has a full-range of artistic offerings -- from theatrical live performances, and big bands and jazz, to modern classic cinema and classic horror and science fiction films, to the glories of the silent film era complete with accompanying music played on our restored and completely operating 1928 Moller organ -- we pride ourselves on having the best locally-produced events catering to the entire region! Summerstage 2006 live performances included Gilbert and Sullivan's rarely-seen "Ruddigore" with its original 1887 staging/music restored; the classic musical "Oklahoma"; and Blake Edwards' modern classic "Victor/Victoria".
The finale to the locally-produced fundraiser, Capitol ICON, a vocal talent competition loosely based on "American Idol", was a runaway success garnering the largest ticket presales, and one of the largest Capitol audiences to date for a paid event!
  We love movies! We love classic movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood and modern instant classics too! In the Capitol Theatre's grand movie palace atmosphere, we're can bring you something you won't find in the modern multiplexes--the classic movie experience. Find out what's on tap this week!
The Capitol Theatre features:
1,700+ seat 1928 movie house
35mm archival prints
Carbon arc projection (variable speed used for some silents)
Silents with live theatre organ accompaniment (3/7 Moller, 1928)
 The Capitol was built as a movie house, opening December 10, 1928 with an all-movie program including the First National feature, Lilac Time. The Capitol Theatre remains the only building in Rome, NY constructed for the specific purpose of exhibiting motion pictures. Although the theatre received an Art Deco face-lift in 1939, the auditorium is configured exactly as it was in 1928, and much of the original decor remains. Also still in place is the theatre's 3-manual, 7-rank Moller theatre organ. Restoration work on the organ was started in 2002, and since then it has been used on a regular basis to accompany silent movies.
Films at the Capitol are shown in 35mm prints on the theatre's carbon-arc, variable-speed projectors. We order the best prints of classic films from archives such as the Library of Congress, UCLA Film & Television Archive, and Sony Pictures. The Capitolfest summer film festival features several extremely rare talking films, as well as some equally rare silent gems. Each of the silent films will be accompanied by one of the world's foremost exponents of authentic silent movie accompaniment.
 Among the Capitol's many movie events, Summer 2006 featured the film "An American Tragedy" which drew more than 500 people from around the region--the largest audience ever Capitol movie event! Based on the novel of the same title, which in turn was based on the Chester Gillette-Grace Brown murder case of 1906, "Tragedy" also featured an audio-visual presentation by Craig Brandon, author of the 1986 book on the subject, "Murder In The Adirondacks," a display of memorabilia and artifacts, and a live performance of the 1907 song "Entreating" which was based on Grace Brown's love letters.
Our goal at the Capitol Theatre is to not only show these vintage films, but to re-create the experience of seeing these movies when they were new. We want you to be as excited about classic movies as we are! See them at the Capitol--on the big screen---the way they were meant to be seen!
|
