Once upon a time Detroit’s first true movie palace was born. This is the story of the Capitol Theatre. It stands before you now. But its story is one of constant change. It’s a story of grand openings, of closings, and reopenings.
The Capitol Theatre first opened on January 12 1922. It was Detroit’s first true movie palace. The Capitol Theatre was one of many grand monuments built when Detroit was reaching its peak. The Capitol’s grandeur began to fade as the city’s wealth diminished.
The Capitol Theatre is the site of many Detroit firsts. It hosted the city’s first rock and roll show. It also hosted its first international film festival. Dark times caused the Capitol Theatre to close. Time, vandals, and weather ravaged the building. But the Capitol Theatre was not left for dead.
The general director of the Michigan Opera Theatre saw potential. He believed a movie palace resembling a grand European opera house could be the perfect home for his company. The Capitol Theatre would live on again as the Detroit Opera House.
John H Kunsky opened the Capitol Theatre. He outdid himself creating the biggest most elaborate movie theatre Detroit had ever seen. Kunsky turned to architect C Howard Crane to design the theatre. Crane had already established himself as the city’s foremost theatre architect.
Crane toured the great opera houses of Europe. They became the major influence in his design for the Capitol Theatre. Fashioned in the Italian Renaissance style, Crane incorporated features that made Detroiters feel transported to Europe. These included large crystal chandeliers and a grand marble staircase. Lavish carpeting and walls decorated in elegant murals completed the effect.
The great hall is a long promenade. It connects Broadway and Madison streets. Lobbies on each side are kept intentionally small for such a large theatre to give the promenade a feeling of length.
Crane was also an expert at designing theatres with superior acoustics. He designed the acoustically perfect Orchestra Hall just a couple of years earlier. Crane took pains to give the Capitol Theatre a similar quality.
For the building’s exterior, Crane designed two facades. The main facade on Broadway is a glazed white terra cotta Beaux Arts design. It features colossal Corinthian columns. The Madison Street facade is of red brick with terra cotta trim. Crane’s original design included an exotic rooftop garden with an elliptical dance floor. This was never built.
The Capitol Theatre also included impressive theatre technology. A rather small pipe organ was installed. It had all the effects required in modern pictures. These included pistol shots, wind whistles, and police sirens. The total cost of building the Capitol Theatre was 2.25 million dollars.
When the Capitol Theatre opened it was the fifth largest theatre in the world. Kunsky boasted that it contained 4250 seats. The gala opening night was a major Detroit event. The opening film was “The Lotus Eaters” starring John Barrymore. The biggest thrill was seeing a movie of themselves.
The Capitol Theatre presented first-run films supported by live performances. The Capitol Wonder Orchestra played a vital role. Its members would often do double duty at the Madison Theatre across the street. They used an underground tunnel to get from one job to the other. From 1922 to 1926 Detroiters enjoyed free afternoon concerts on Sundays.
In 1928 The Capitol installed audio equipment for its first talkie film. In 1929 Kunsky Theatres sold their entire interest to Paramount-Publix. The theatre was renamed The Paramount. Paramount filed for bankruptcy and closed the Paramount Theatre in 1932.
United Detroit Theatres acquired the theatre and asked Trendle to return. The theatre’s name changed to the Broadway-Capitol Theatre. This name stuck for the next 26 years.
In the late 1940s and 1950s the Broadway-Capitol became a great place to see jazz and rhythm and blues acts. Perhaps the most notable concert took place in 1954. Bill Haley and The Comets played Detroit’s first rock show.
In 1960 United Detroit Theatres invested in renovations. They transformed the old movie palace into a more spacious high-tech theatre. The theatre reopened as The Grand Circus.
In 1988 the Michigan Opera Theatre purchased the building. They dubbed it the Detroit Opera House. The reopening in 1996 was celebrated with a gala event featuring Luciano Pavarotti. The Detroit Opera House is now configured with seating for 2700.
Today the Detroit Opera House hosts opera dance and ballet performances. It also hosts traveling Broadway shows. The magic carpet continues to whisk Detroiters away. The Detroit Opera House stands as a testament to the city’s rich cultural history.