1921

Breaking Ground!

After ten years of planning, the building of the Hawaii Theatre was started In June.  The Hawaii Theatre would replace the Bijou Theatre with a more comfortable facility, according to the owners, Joel Cohen and John Magoon, of Consolidated Amusement.  They dreamed of making the Hawaii Theatre their flagship -- their best and most beautiful theatre.

1922

Opening Night!

The Hawaii Theatre opened on September 6, 1922, with much fanfare and celebration.  The opening night concert featured a local tenor, Tandy McKenzie, who was a regular performer in Europe, and a local soprano, Ululani Robertson.  The Hawaii Theatre orchestra played, and Governor Farrington spoke.

It was an exciting opening night, but not the event that was originally planned.  It had been advertised that the opening night program was going to feature the silent film, The Three Musketeers, but the film was on a boat in the ocean on opening night.  The concert was quickly pulled together to replace the film.  The movie arrived the next day and played for several nights after that.

1922 - 1929

Booming Business!

The Hawaii Theatre was the place where you could see all kinds of shows and people flocked to downtown to catch the latest entertainment.  They could see photoplays (silent movies), vaudeville acts, musical concerts, dance concerts, musical comedies, and dramatic plays.

1929

Hawaii Theatre Presents Talkies!

The Hawaii Theatre was the first theatre in Honolulu to be equipped to show movies with sound, known as "talkies."  The first talkie to be shown at the Hawaii Theatre was Showboat, a musical.  This exciting direction in entertainment led to the first renovation of the theatre in 1936.  This renovation made the acoustics even better for movies with sound.

1930s
1940s
1950s

Downtown Is "The Place” for Decades!

The Hawaii Theatre and many theatres in downtown Honolulu were the center of entertainment for the island.  About a dozen theatres in the area were successful movie houses, showing continuous popular movies.

1960s
1970s

Entertainment Moves to Waikiki!

As newer movie houses were built in Waikiki and as hotels sprung up in Waikiki, the audiences moved there for movies.  The entertainment center of Honolulu shifted from downtown to Waikiki.  The audiences no longer flocked to downtown and the theatre owners lost business.  Because they were not making money, the theatres fell into disrepair with crumbling plaster and leaking roofs.

1978

Hawaii Theatre Listed as Important Historical Site!

Hawaii Theatre was added to the registers of National (Building #78001021) and State Historic Places (Site #80-14-1332).

1984

Hawaii Theatre Goes Dark!

After 62 years of continuous operation, the Hawaii Theatre closed its doors when Consolidated Amusement decided they could no longer afford to keep it open.  It looked like the Hawaii Theatre would be torn down as many of the neighboring theatres were.

1984

Citizens Come Together to Save the Theatre!

A group of citizens formed a non-profit organization to help save the theatre and the theatre organ.  Their dream was to restore the theatre to its original beauty and to renovate it to a state-of-the-art facility.  They believed it could become a multi-purpose performing arts center for the community once again.

1987 - 1994

Fundraising Helps Save the Theatre!

The Hawaii State Legislature granted a total of $12.4 million to help finance the restoration project.  Citizens of Honolulu contributed approximately $10 million more in donations, large and small.  In addition volunteers worked in the restoration project giving time, effort and expertise to save the theatre.

1990 - 1996

Hawaii Theatre Restored and Renovated from Top to Bottom!

Every inch of the interior Hawaii Theatre was restored and renovated through meticulous, pains-taking effort.  Art work was restored, gold grill work was refurbished, electrical systems were replaced, all termite-damaged wood structures were removed and new ones were installed (e.g. seats, stage), and the roof was replaced.

1996

Hawaii Theatre Center Reopens!

The reopening of the Hawaii Theatre took place on April 28, 1996, with much fanfare and celebration.  Today it is a state-of-the-art multi-purpose arts center with the look of 1922 -- something that everyone in Hawaii can be proud of!