Birth Date: December 26, 1921
Age: 90 yrs
Architect: Thomas W. Lamb
Capacity: 1800
Location: 15 Livingston Ave New Brunswick, NJ 08901
President & CEO: Mark W. Jones
Genre’s Performed: Musicals, Dance, Classical,
Children’s Theatre, Broadway, Theatre, Rock, Pop, HD Broadcasts, Comedy.
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State Theatre Built in 1921 under the management of Walter Reade, the State Theatre was designed for both movies and live performances by internationally renowned theater architect, Thomas W. Lamb. Reade’s State Theatre opened with five vaudeville acts and a single matinee screening of the silent western, White Oak, starring William S. Hart. Patrons, including first ticket buyer, nine-year-old Victor Levin, paid 20-30 cents per admission.
The theater was placed under the management of Benjamin Franklin Keith and Edward Franklin Albee of B.F Keith Theatre chain, which then was the largest vaudeville theater chain in the early 1920s. After the death of Keith, Albee continued the operation and eventually merged with Orpheum, the largest western booking agency to form Keith-Albee-Orpheum (KAO).
In 1928, The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) acquired KAO as a subsidiary and KAO changed to Radio-Keith-Orpheum; also known as RKO. Within one year, the theater in now equipped for sound.
In 1933 the RKO State Theatre underwent major renovations ending with a RKO Art-Deco renovation. With the advent of talking movies, the theater became a popular cinema for first-run movies beginning in 1939.
In the 1950s RKO State Theatre began to host rock ‘n’ roll shows featuring popular artists like The Satins, Chubby Checker, and more. This emerging genre led to yet another renovation—acoustic tiles, which helped produce a booming sound.
The State Theatre continued to operate into the 1960s until audiences switched to multiplex cinemas. RKO sold the building to a business that showed adult movies and fell into decline. In 1979 it was purchased by the New Brunswick Development Corporation (DevCo) as part of New Brunswick's revitalization project for $455,000.
In 1986, the New Brunswick Cultural Center, led by Chairman Richard B. Sellars (Mr. Sellars was Chairman & CEO of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies from 1973 to 1976) acquired the State Theatre from DevCo, and in the fall 1987 a $3 million renovation began. The State Theatre reopened on April 24, 1988 with a performance by the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra.
In December 2003, the theater began another $3 million renovation to return the theater as closely as possible to its original appearance, additionally updating the sound and lighting systems. The architectural firm of Ford, Farewell, Mills, and Gatch oversaw the cleaning and repair of the terracotta exterior. On the inside, artists from Conrad Schmitt of Milwaukee, a century-old firm specializing in historic restorations, researched several areas of the theater’s interior to determine the original paint colors, decorative trim style and other details of Thomas W. Lamb's interior decoration. Up to 20 layers of paint were stripped away to determine the original color scheme. The theater underwent ornamental plaster repair, decorative painting and replacement of house and lobby lighting, and installation of high tech sound and lighting systems. The outer lobby’s dome ceiling boasted glittering new decorative work and historically accurate lighting fixtures were installed in the lobbies and theater.
The refurbished State Theatre was unveiled in October 2004 at the season’s opening performance by comedian Jay Leno. On May 20th, 2009, the State Theatre hosted what would be the last ever performance by the legendary folk trio, "Peter, Paul, and Mary". Due to Mary Travers' long illness and continuing decline, the remaining shows that the trio had planned were either canceled, or only featured Peter Yarrow and Noel "Paul" Stookey. Mary Travers died of complications from chemotherapy on September 16th, 2009.
In the summer of 2010, the State Theatre installed a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system costing $1 million generously provided by Middlesex County.
The State Theatre Regional Arts Center at New Brunswick exists to enrich the lives of people from diverse backgrounds in New Jersey and to contribute to a vital urban environment by:
The State Theatre is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
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