The Capitol Theatre Australia

The Capitol Theatre, designed by noted architect Thomas Lamb, opened on Wednesday, August 18, 1926 as a dignified playhouse with great decorative beauty and luxurious comfort. The open letter to Port Chester residents published in the newspaper that week boasted that it would contain “the only theater refrigerating system in Westchester County.” The grand opening, which included a performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” by a ten-piece orchestra and a showing of Sea Wolf, sold out all of its seats (then 2,000), and had to turn hundreds away.

In December 2011, Peter Shapiro announced that The Capitol Theatre would reopen with him at the helm, and the venue began yet a third round of serious renovations. Previously the owner of the legendary Wetlands Preserve in Manhattan and currently the owner of the Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg, Shapiro has no shortage of experience when it comes to running successful live music venues. He planned to breathe new life into the historical theater—with state-of-the-art light, sound and video systems, and new carpets, repainted walls and upgraded bathrooms.

The Capitol Theatre, partnered with concert promoter The Bowery Presents, reopened in September 2012 as Westchester’s new premier rock palace.