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In 2019, the St. George Theatre celebrated its 90th Anniversary, but it suffered a long road to make it to that age. Owner Solomon Brill of the Isle Theatrical Company built the theater to attract top tier entertainment, like the vaudeville shows you would see in the movie-palaces of Manhattan, to the historic town of St. George on Staten Island’s North Shore.
After just under a year and a half of construction and $2 million dollars in cost, the theatre, along with an attached office complex, opened on December 4th, 1929. Despite the trying times it was born into, the St. George Theatre thrived for decades. By the mid-century however, like most large capacity theaters in the city, the St. George struggled to fill its seats. Untapped New York Insiders recently toured the theater and learned about its near destruction and brilliant revitalization.
The surrounding area is also going through a dramatic change, with the arrival of New York City’s only outlet, Empire Outlets, a 340,000 square feet destination for retail and dining that was designed by SHoP Architects. Empire Outlets is also worth a stop for the great views of New York Harbor and the Manhattan skyline. Untapped New York Insiders got to see some of the yet-to-open spaces on the behind-the-scenes tour of St. George.
Check out the secrets we discovered of the St. George Theatre!
The principal architect of the St. George was Eugene DeRosa, who was assisted by the “dean of Staten Island architects” and designer of the long-lost Ritz, Liberty and Victory theaters, James Whitford. Seeking to give patrons a luxurious experience, the St. George was equipped with many amenities including advanced cooling and heating systems, plush velvet seats, gilded balconies and grand staircases. The most impressive part the design however was the giant balcony.
At the time, the St. George’s balcony was one of the largest cantilevered balconies in the entire county. This engineering, which eliminated the use of beams and pillars, ensured that every seat has an unobstructed view of the stage. In total, the theater’s auditorium had 2,800 seats.
The ornate design of the interior was done by Nestor Castro, the art director for the Libman-Spanjer Corporation. Castro worked with the Libman-Spanjer Corporation to design the interiors of many theater in Times Square. Inside the St. George, Castro mixed the styles of Spanish and Italian baroque.
The walls and ceilings are covered with intricate wood carving and plaster work, grand chandeliers line the lobby, tiled niches with sculptural figures and fountains are spread throughout, and massive murals greet you as you enter. The murals depict scenes of a Spanish village and a bull fight, and are surrounded by elaborately carved frames.
The construction of the Verrazzano bridge drew people toward the center of Staten Island and away from the formerly buzzing shore town of St. George. The nearly 3,000 seat theater struggled to draw crowds. When the theater was put up for rent in 1976, a young Staten Island couple, Dean Thompson and Victoria Hallerman, tried to keep it going. After less than a year, the opulent theater became too costly to operate, and it closed in 1977.
Over the next three decades, more hopeful entrepreneurs tried their hand at revitalizing the struggling site. The theater would transform into a nightclub, an antiques showroom and even a roller rink! There was a glimmer of hope in the 1990s when the space was turned into a performing arts center that hosted several shows, however this too, was short lived. The future of the St. George Theatre was bleak until a dedicated Staten Islander, and her family, stepped up to save it.
By the early 2000s, after changing hands multiple times and undergoing a handful of failed reinventions, the St. George Theatre was on the brink of being lost forever. A local dance school owner and beloved member of the community, Rosemary Cappozalo, known as Mrs. Rosemary, wouldn’t let that happen. Along with her daughters Luanne Sorrentino, and Doreen Cugno, Mrs. Rosemary founded a not-for-profit to save the building from the wrecking ball.
Mrs. Rosemary invested her life savings, over one million dollars, and countless hours of her time into making the St. George shine again. When the Cappozalos acquired the theater, there was no electrical power, no plumbing, no orchestra seats, no stage lighting or sound system and there were holes everywhere from the stage to the ceilings. The theater had been closed since 1978 and was reopened by the Cappozalos in 2004. Renovations and restoration are still ongoing, with the outer lobby currently undergoing work, which includes new front doors, marble flooring restoration, paint and plaster renovation, box office enhancements and more. The lower lobby is being transformed into a member’s lounge.
The latest addition to the theater is the flashy LED- marquee out front which was added during a $5.2 million summer renovation in 2017.
Hanging above the seats in the St. George Theatre’s main auditorium is a stunning dome that rises seven stories high. Hanging from the dome is the original chandelier, which cranks down, and catwalk is situated around the dome. The catwalk is mainly used for maintenance, like changing lightbulbs around the perimeter of the dome.
Vincent Innocente, Manager of Marketing and Audience Services tells us that the dome was “built primarily for sound. As the sound hits the dome and bounces back down onto the audience. The theater has wonderful natural acoustics.”
Since reopening in 2004, the St. George Theatre has hosted more than 1400 events. Visitors to the St. George have seen local and world renowned talents including musicians like Tony Bennett, Cyndi Lauper, The Goo Goo Dolls, comedians like Jerry Seinfeld, and national Broadway tours including Peter Pan, Cats, and many more!
One of the St. George’s enduring traditions is the annual Christmas show that is put on every year during the holiday season. Going on nearly twenty years, the yearly spectacular features more than 100 volunteer performers and serves as a fundraiser for St. George Theatre Restoration, Inc. A highlight of the show is seeing the Richmondettes, a group of high-kicking dancers from dance companies across Staten Island. Check out the upcoming schedule at the St. George Theatre!
Next, check out 10 abandoned places to discover on Staten Island.
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