Circle Star Theater

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The Circle Star Theater was a performing arts venue in San Carlos, California (near the county seat of San Mateo County, Redwood City). Its name is based on it being a theater in the round, featuring a revolving circular stage with no seat further than fifty feet from the stage^[1].

Frank Sinatra, Buck Owens, George Benson, Dionne Warwick, Barry Manilow, Gordon Lightfoot, Kenny Rogers, Richard Marx, B.B. King, The Beach Boys, Frank Zappa, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, The Ohio Players, Judy Collins, Jack Benny, Liberace, Sammy Davis, Jr., Jan & Dean, James Brown, Tony Orlando, Ike Turner, Marvin Gaye, Grover Washington, Jr., Sonny and Cher, Bill Cosby and The Carpenters all played the 3,743 seat Circle Star before its destruction. Singer Engelbert Humperdinck complained that the rotating stage gave him motion sickness.

Multiple compilations from Richard Pryor contain tracks recorded at the Circle Star. George Carlin's Occupation: Foole was also recorded at the venue.

When Frank Sinatra played there in 1990, the revolving stage gave a whole new impact to "Set 'Em Up Joe", in which Sinatra, smoking a cigarette, stood next to a barstool which had a tumbler on it as he sang the song. Because the perimeter of the theatre was lined with spotlights, there were moments during this song when Sinatra had his back to the audience and was backlit by spotlights, with a plume of smoke surrounding his stark silhouettue and that of the barstool with drink; a striking image that could only have happened at the Circle Star.

After several tough financial runs, the Circle Star ultimately failed and was closed in December 1993.^[2] The derelict building caught fire on April 18, 1997, damaging much of the backstage area, though by this time plans had already been made for its demolition.^[3] The theater was ultimately demolished to make way for the Circle Star Center, a complex containing two four-story office buildings and a small hotel.