The Palace Theater is a movie theatre in downtown Hilo, Hawai'i in the

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. Architects Davis & Fishbourne designed the theater in the Beaux-Arts style, and the theater was constructed in 1925. The two-story building has five

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

s on its front facade; a metal

marquee Marquee may refer to: * Marquee (overhang), a secondary covering attached to the exterior wall of a building * Marquee (structure), a structure placed over the entrance to a hotel, theater, casino, train station, or similar building. * Pole marquee ...

divides the two stories. The three central bays feature broken

pediment Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...

s and decorative urns above the second-floor windows. A

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an upward extension of a wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/brea ...

with a

balustrade A baluster () is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its ...

runs along the top of the building. After the original theater closed, the Palace reopened in 1998 as an

arthouse An art film, arthouse film, or specialty film is an independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made prima ...

. The theater was added to the

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on May 11, 1993. The Palace Theater features a restored lobby with a cafe serving refreshments during movie showings, concerts, and theatrical performances. The theater itself features steeply banked amphitheater seating in three tiers and a decorative proscenium frames the stage. A large Robert Morton pipe organ is in the auditorium. Much of the organ is original to The Palace in 1925. The organ was moved in 1940 to the Hilo Theatre, which was destroyed by the 1960 tsunami. The surviving pipework was then purchased by Roger Angell and installed in his family home in Honolulu. He eventually donated the organ back to the Palace, and it has been expanded with portions of the pipe organ from the demolished

Waikiki Theatre The Waikiki Theatre, also known as Waikiki Theatre 3 from 1969 and on, was a single-screen movie theater located in Waikīkī, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Designed by architect Charles William Dickey, it opened August 20, 1936 and was located at 2284 Kalak ...

in Honolulu.; and personal information. The Palace is a favorite venue for performers and bands, with concerts regularly scheduled. Every spring, a local variety show fund-raiser features local talent, and each fall a full theatrical musical production is staged for serial performances over the course of a month. Independent films are played throughout the year. Special events are staged as well, allowing the public to see and use the theater for many events outside of the typical use as a movie theater. During the

COVID pandemic Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fev ...

, The Palace Theater produced the ''Live From the Empty Palace'' web series, which featured local Hawaiian artists performing on the Palace Theater stage for an empty audience. The series produced a

Nā Hōkū Hanohano The Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards, occasionally called the Nā Hōkū Awards or Hoku Awards, are the premier music awards in Hawaii.Berger, John"A night of Na Hoku Hanohano" ''Honolulu Star-Advertiser''. May 22, 2011.Haug, Kawehi"Hoku awardees shine ...

finalist compilation album and a 12-episode broadcast television series shown on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

. The series included performances by notable Hawaiian artists including Kolea, El Sancho, Larry Dupio, Kainani Kahaunaele, Lopaka Rootz, Ka'ahele, and more.

References

External links

Official site
1925 establishments in Hawaii Cinemas and movie theaters in Hawaii Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Hawaii Buildings and structures in Hilo, Hawaii Neoclassical architecture in Hawaii Beaux-Arts cinemas and movie theaters National Register of Historic Places in Hawaii County, Hawaii Theatres completed in 1925 {{Hawaii-stub

See also

References

External links