The historic Capitol Theatre was built at 50 West 200 South in

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

during 1913. Originally operated as a vaudeville house named Orpheum Theater, this was soon renamed Capitol Theater during 1927. And is currently

also known as A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

the JQ Lawson Capitol Theater. The building style is

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...

. The county maintains partnerships with Utah-based

Ballet West Ballet West is an American ballet company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was founded in 1963 as the Utah Civic Ballet by Willam F. Christensen, the company's first artistic director, and Glenn Walker Wallace, who served as its first president. ...

Utah Opera The Utah Opera is an American opera company that has been merged with Utah Symphony since July 2002, with a combined audience of more than 150,000 annually. History In 1978, the Utah Opera company presented its first production of Puccini's '' ...

, and the Children’s Dance Theater (Tanner Dance at the University of Utah), all of which perform regularly at Capitol Theater. Additional Productions: multiple musicals produced by the

Broadway Across America Broadway Across America (BAA) is a presenter and producer of live theatrical events in the United States and Canada since 1982. It is currently owned by the John Gore Organization (formerly Key Brand Entertainment), which purchased it from Live N ...

touring company; the

White Oak Dance Project White Oak Dance Project was a dance company founded in 1990 by Mikhail Baryshnikov and Mark Morris. The company took the name of the animal preservation and land plantation owned by philanthropist and Baryshnikov friend Howard Gilman. Gilman built ...

in 1993 produced by

Mikhail Baryshnikov Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov ( rus, Михаил Николаевич Барышников, p=mʲɪxɐˈil bɐ'rɨʂnʲɪkəf; lv, Mihails Barišņikovs; born January 28, 1948) is a Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Latvian-born R ...

and

Mark Morris (choreographer) Mark William Morris (born August 29, 1956) is an American dancer, choreographer and director whose work is acclaimed for its craftsmanship, ingenuity, humor, and at times eclectic musical accompaniments. Morris is popular among dance aficionados, ...

; and various other plays and performances. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, the theatre was used as part of the accompanying Arts Festival with various performances taking place on the stage. After the Eccles Theater was built and opened in 2016 just around the corner on Main Street in Salt Lake City, some productions moved from the Capitol Theater to take advantage of the larger stage and more modern sound system of Eccles Theater. Capitol Theater is managed by th
Salt Lake County Center for the Arts

Renovations

The Capitol Theater has undergone various renovations over the course of its history. Damaged by a fire during 1949, there was not a major renovation until finally during 1975, funded through an $8.6 million county bond. Extensive renovations were made to the building and auditorium, making it one of the premier performing arts centers in downtown Salt Lake City. In 2013, the Theater began a major renovation, budgeting $32 million for renovations to the building and adding the Jessie Eccles Quinney Ballet Centre next to the Capitol Theater, expanding lobby space, as well as constructing new rehearsal space, costume space, and administrative offices for the Salt Lake City-based

dance company. In 2019, the theater auditorium began a six-month renovation removing all the seats on the floor of the main auditorium and replacing the floor and adding seats that accommodate

ADA Ada may refer to: Places Africa * Ada Foah, a town in Ghana * Ada (Ghana parliament constituency) * Ada, Osun, a town in Nigeria Asia * Ada, Urmia, a village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Ada, Karaman, a village in Karaman Province, ...

seating, replace narrower seats. As well, the plans include adding a new sound system, replacing building infrastructure, and restoring the roof to the original terra cotta façade. This renovation was a second phase of planned work in 2013, when the orchestra pit, backstage/downstairs, and the stage itself were improved.

References

{{Reflist

External links

*https://artsaltlake.org/ Buildings and structures in Salt Lake City Buildings and structures completed in 1913 Theatres in Utah Music venues in Utah Performing arts centers in Utah