Hawaii Theatre almost back
By Kapono Dowson
Advertiser Staff Writer
Although the Hawaii Theatre re-opened its doors in 1996 after benefactors restored the interior to its 1920s grandeur, its exterior remained a chipped-paint work in progress.
Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser
"It always gets me when people stand right next to the theater and ask where Hawaii Theatre is because there's no signage," said Elissa Josephsohn, spokeswoman for the downtown landmark.
The Hawaii Theatre as it appeared yesterday. Renovations to the interior are complete; exterior renovations continue and donations are welcome.
Hawaii Theatre supporters hope to change that with a final, $10 million restoration phase that will focus on the exterior. The building's facelift will include restoration of the theater's facade on Bethel and Pauahi streets, reconstruction of its vertical, lighted "Hawaii" sign and a 1930s-style marquee, Josephsohn said.
The Hawaii Theatre Center, which operates the facility, yesterday announced a "Light Up the Hawaii" campaign to raise the remaining $1.5 million needed.
The state government recently presented the theater with a $1 million grant to help retire the theater's mortgage and renovate the exterior, raising the total raised to $8 million.
Another $500,000 will be donated as a Kresge Foundation Challenge Grant if the theater can raise the $1.5 million in public donations, Josephsohn said.
"We plan to start construction after the first of the year," said Hawaii Theatre Center chairman Robert Midkiff. "It's imperative to complete our campaign and to get renovations under way. Excitement is building and more people are contributing all the time," he said.
To contribute to the Kresge challenge, call Sanae Tokumura at 396-6070.
Other grants for the exterior have come from the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, the Frear Trust and the Teruya Foundation. Marie Lord, widow of "Hawaii Five-0" star Jack Lord, donated $200,000 toward the marquee in memory of her late husband, Josephsohn said.
Consolidated Amusements of Honolulu built Hawaii Theatre in 1922 for film and theater productions. In the mid-1930s, it was a grand movie palace. But the theater closed in 1984 because of termites and downtown decay, Josephsohn said.
Saved from demolition, a major interior renovation of the theater began in 1989. The restoration included corinthian columns, gilded decor and plush seating. The renovation and ground lease cost $22 million, Josephsohn said.
The theater's directors decided not to wait for both exterior and interior renovation to be completed before opening its doors. The inside renovations were so well done and the need for an event theater so great, the directors reopened the theater in 1996 without finishing the exterior, she said.
Reach Kapono Dowson at kdowson@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8103.
