Apollo Theatre

The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London. Designed by the architect Lewin Sharp for owner Henry Lowenfeld, it became the fourth legitimate theatre to be constructed on the street when it opened its doors on 21 February 1901, with the American musical comedy The Belle of Bohemia.

History

Construction

Because Henry Lowenfeld had bought land on the newly created Shaftesbury Avenue at the turn of the 20th century – next door to the Lyric Theatre which opened in 1888 – the Apollo is one of the few theatres in London to be freehold.

The only complete theatre design of architect Lewin Sharp, the Apollo was specifically designed for musical theatre and named after the Greek god of the arts and leader of the muses. Constructed by builder Walter Wallis of plain London brick in keeping with the neighbouring streets, the front piece is in the Renaissance style with sculpted stone fascia by T. Simpson. The structure encloses a four-level auditorium, with three cantilevered balconies and a first floor central loggia, decorated in the Louis XIV Style by Hubert van Hooydonk. In keeping with then European style, each level has its own foyer and promenade.

Apollo Theatre (Oberlin, Ohio)

The Apollo Theatre is a 1913 art-deco moviehouse located in Oberlin, Ohio and maintained by Oberlin College. It is notable as one of the earliest theaters to screen "talkies" and for its use as one of Northeast Ohio's film forums.

History

While originally often used for vaudeville acts, The Apollo gained attention as an art cinema in the mid-1910s. The films that were shown were usually silent, the exception being when an organ would accompany the film. In 1928, the Apollo got its first “Talkie”, and from that point on, a new appreciation for cinema started to grow in the town of Oberlin. The theater changed hands many times in its early years before it came under the ownership of Jerome Steel who had previous involvement in the movie business. He had been a representative for Warner Brothers Pictures and Vitaphone, and also managed the Alhambra Theatre in Cleveland.

Steel closed the theater for a month to renovate. He added new lighting, an up to date organ, and a new screen. Once the theater reopened, he replaced some of the Vaudeville acts with the first “talkies”, and was eager to cater to both town and college interests. The Apollo was not the only theater in town, so to set it apart he created the motto, “Always a Good Show”, which was used in many of the Apollo’s advertisements. The motto proved effective as an advertising tool.

Coventry Theatre

Coventry Theatre was a 2,000-seat theatre located on Hales Street in Coventry, England. It opened in 1937 as the New Hippodrome and was renamed Coventry Theatre in 1955 and in 1979 it was purchased by businessman Paul Gregg and became the Apollo Theatre. It closed in 1985 with a performance by Barbara Dickson. In its later years the building became a bingo club before being demolished in 2002.

References

Apollo Theatre (42nd Street)

Coordinates: 40°45′24″N 73°59′16″W / 40.75667°N 73.98778°W / 40.75667; -73.98778

The Apollo Theatre was a Broadway theatre whose entrance was located at 223 West 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York City, while the theatre proper was on 43rd Street. It was demolished in 1996 and provided part of the site for the new Ford Center, now known as the Lyric Theatre.

History

The Apollo was built in 1920 by the Selwyn Brothers as one of a pair of theatres designed by Eugene De Rosa with a unified facade on West 42nd Street incorporating both theatres' entrances. The other, called the Times Square Theatre, occupied the rest of the 42nd Street frontage, while the Apollo was behind it, on 43rd Street. To the east of them stood the Lyric Theatre. The Apollo was initially a musical theatre venue for such works as the Gershwin musical Strike Up the Band and George White's Scandals. As in many other playhouses of the 1920s, movies often played the Apollo during its run as a "legitimate" house; in 1922, for example, Silver Wings, Around the World With Burton Holmes, and two D. W. Griffith films, Orphans of the Storm and One Exciting Night, had engagements.

Apollon Theatre (Patras)

For the theatre in Harlem, see the Apollo Theatre

The Apollon Theatre (Greek: θέατρο "Απόλλων Theatro Apollon) is a theatre in Patras, Greece. Designed by the famous German architect Ernst Ziller, it was completed in 1872. The Apollon is located east of Georgiou I Square, one of Patras' popular squares. The theatre is a micrograph of the La Scala in Milan and is the oldest existing enclosed theatre of the same era. The Apollon Theatre has been the main stage of the Patras Municipal and Regional Theatre since 1988, and can hold up to 300 people.

History

The Apollon Theatre began construction on February 11, 1871, and opened on October 10, 1872. The construction was paid for by various residents of Patras. The main erection committee included Theodor Hamburger (president), Dimitrios Patrinos, K. Lappas and A. Chrysanthis.

Other sponsors included the then-mayor of Patras, Georgios Roufos, Gustavos Clauss, Hamburger, Langouras, the Triantis Brothers, Panagiotis Brothers, father of Dimitrios Gounaris, Epameinondas Maximos, father of Dimitrios Maximos

Apollo Theatre (Martinsburg, West Virginia)

The Apollo Theatre in Martinsburg, West Virginia was designed by architect Reginald Geare with local architect Chapman E. Kent, and built in 1913 by theater owner H. P. Thorn. As constructed it had a seating capacity of 1000, and was used for movies, vaudeville and concerts. Upper floors provided meeting spaces for large groups.

The Apollo Theatre is operated as a community-supported facility. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It is included in the Downtown Martinsburg Historic District.

References