Theater Reopens in Honolulu

The historic Hawaii Theatre, also known as the “Carnegie Hall of the Pacific,” will celebrate its reopening Friday through next Sunday after a 10-year, $22-million renovation.

Called one of America’s most gracious theaters by Jane Alexander, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, the 1,400-seat Neoclassical auditorium (pictured left) combines the intimacy of a Broadway house with a spectacular beaux-arts decor unique in Hawaii. It will present drama, concerts, dance and films. Singer Michael Feinstein will headline Saturday’s opening performance.

Lionel Walden’s mural, “The Glorification of Drama,” which graces the theater’s proscenium, has been completely restored, along with the gilded Corinthian columns, intricate relief work and great dome.

Opened in 1922, the theater was a showplace for vaudeville, plays and musicals, and eventually evolved into a movie palace. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places. Honolulu’s only mid-sized classical auditorium, the Hawaii Theatre is likely again to become a major cultural attraction and revitalize the downtown area bordering Chinatown. It was slated for demolition in 1984 before concerned citizens banded together to save it.

Performances scheduled this month include the Washington Ballet and the Chopin International Piano Competition of the Pacific. This weekend’s kick-off celebration also features a family-oriented street party next Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., with a theater open house and old-fashioned films.

Information and tickets: (808) 528-0506.