The California Theatre of the Performing Arts or simply referred to as the California Theatre is a performing arts center in the historic

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 ...

area of

San Bernardino, California San Bernardino (; Spanish for "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 cen ...

. Originally a part of the Fox Theatre chain, it opened in 1928. It still houses its original

Wurlitzer The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...

Style 216 pipe organ. It was also the site of the last performance by

Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ...

prior to his death, in a 1935 plane crash. In the early years of Hollywood, filmmakers would test-screen their movies at the California Theatre. Classic films such as "

King Kong King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...

" and " The Wizard of Oz" were first seen by audiences at the theatre in the 1930s. The theatre is managed by Theatrical Arts International, the largest theatre company in the Inland Empire, which presents Broadway tours from the national touring circuit, and has hosted the

San Bernardino Symphony The San Bernardino Symphony orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in San Bernardino, California. Founded in 1929 by newspaper magnate and conductor, James K. Guthrie, the San Bernardino Symphony is one of the oldest professional or ...

since 1929. The theatre has recently hosted the tapings of Showtime's " The Latin Divas of Comedy", and "

The Payaso Comedy Slam ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

References

External links

official California Theatre website
Performing arts centers in California Buildings and structures in San Bernardino, California Cinemas and movie theaters in California Event venues established in 1928 National Register of Historic Places in San Bernardino County, California Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in California Tourist attractions in San Bernardino, California Mission Revival architecture in California 1928 establishments in California History of San Bernardino, California Public venues with a theatre organ {{SanBernardinoCountyCA-NRHP-stub