 
Jerrytimes
Member
Username: Jerrytimes
Post Number: 55
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2007 - 6:37 pm: |    |
Does anyone have any old pics of the State Theatre? I was also wondering if was ever called anything else in the past. I can't stand calling it the fillmore. |
Rrl
Member
Username: Rrl
Post Number: 877
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2007 - 6:43 pm: | |
I believe it was also called the Palms at one time. |
56packman
Member
Username: 56packman
Post Number: 1639
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2007 - 6:52 pm: | |
The State theatre-1925
Palms-State
Palms
State
Fillmore
I have pictures, they are from the Manning bros. collection, shouldn't post them here |
Gistok
Member
Username: Gistok
Post Number: 5132
Registered: 08-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2007 - 7:18 pm: | |
The State was first opened in 1925 in an Italian Renaissance style. It was designed by Detroit theatre architect C. Howard Crane. It originally had 2,967 seats, but due to the terraced dance floor and cabaret style seating, it now has 2,200 seats (with the remainder in storage).
The State, now called the Filmore is actually larger than when it first opened in 1925. The outer lobby has doubled in size when the shoe store in part of the building closed, and the entrance lobby was doubled. Due to the fact that the ceiling of the original outer lobby was ornate and the former shoe store ceiling was not, a drop ceiling was placed over the entire outer lobby.
In the early 1990's owner Chuck Forbes had the drop ceiling removed, and had the store half of the outer lobby replicate the ornate ceiling of the original outer lobby. Today one cannot tell that there is a 65 year age difference between the 2 halves of the outer lobby.
The outer lobby opens up into the rotunda lobby, an oval shaped room that has twin marble staircases curving up to meet at the center. Around the upper reaches of the rotunda there are a circle of Corinthian columns with 2 chandeliers in the middle of the ceiling.
Beyond the 2 story rotunda lobby is the 3 story grand foyer with a coffered barrel vaulted ceiling. This grand space is the circulation space for the main floor, mezzanine and balcony patrons. There is a marble staircase at one end of the grand foyer leading up to the mezzanine.
The grand foyer has 2 great chandeliers and is lined with white faux marble columns topped with gilded Corinthian tops.
Off the grand foyer is the theatre, which soars about 8 stories. Due to the restricted size of the theatre space, only 1/2 of the original seating (about 1,500 seats) were on the main floor. The other 1,500 seats were either in the mezzanine (about 250 seats) or balcony.
Due to this arrangement the auditorium is very tall with a coffered dome with cove lighting. There are gray faux marble columns (again Corinthian) along the side walls of the auditorium. The procenium arch framing the stage has gilded Italian Renaissance designs, with a gilded golden knight in armor on either side of the stage (also in plaster).
For those who are going to this Saturday's PW Theatre Tours, I will be the State/Filmore Theatre tour guide. This will be my 9th year. |
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