Hawaii Theatre Center

Once a week, currently on Tuesdays at 11 am (call ahead to confirm), tours of this stunning and unique historic theater are offered to the public for a nominal $ 10 fee. The tour is excellent and highly recommended. Words like «Beaux Arts», «vaudeville», and «proscenium» will arise in conversation. You will get to hear the story of how the theater was conceived and funded, what opening night was like, and how it was restored to its former glory after years of neglect. You will get to see the highly-​detailed, historically accurate interior finishes; the elusive, decorated fire curtain; and a rare theater pipe organ (which is different from church pipe organs; hearing Bill play vintage music on the organ was magnificent!). You will learn that the glowing ceiling dome was originally designed to function as a chimney; that the building originally utilized the stack effect and underfloor air supply to provide natural ventilation; that the balcony is cantilevered unlike any other theater in the state. When the theater opened in 1922, silent films accompanied by pipe organ music were punctuated by live performances. The Hawaii Theater is the only remaining venue in the state capable of accommodating both live performances and movie screenings.
Emory & Webb designed the building. They also designed the Blaisdell Hotel building nearby (absolutely do not miss it if you visit Hawaii Theater!), the Honolulu Advertiser building, and Honpa Hongwanji on the Pali, among many others. Emory came to Hawaii in the 1890s to farm coffee. He is the father of renowned Bishop Museum ethnologist (slash archaeologist?) Kenneth Emory. Read more about Walter Emory at
and Kenneth Emory at
and

The ship Marshall Webb worked on as a marine engineer accidentally left him in Hawaii in 1900. Unlike Dillingham, Sr., it eventually picked him up, but Webb later returned to Hawaii and stayed. Webb became the design architect in the Emory & Webb partnership and a WWI veteran, among many other things. Read more about Marshall Webb at

This historic sight is perfect for taking photos if you want a great iconic «Hawaii» sign in the background. It’s a great scene in the heart of downtown with a lot of great food nearby. Here’s a photo of the theatre’s sign that I took:

Such a beautiful theatre!, the ushers work so hard at helping everyone. We opted to pick up our tickets at will call, and the cashier was very nice. Unfortunately, we had balcony seats located at the bottom row looking straight on to those walking by, and this was all throughout the entire night. Some of them even stood in front of us blocking our view, all we can see was their backs. I only wish the ushers would have settled them down and out of our way. This was constant throughout the performances.
Came here to watch Gabriel Iglesias «Fluffy», I can see why he would choose this place to do any kind of filming, this place is so fancy. The sound system is great, we sat at balcony level, and was able to hear the comedian’s loud and clear. There was a few other comedians that opened for Fluffy, each did a short act and they were super funny and each had their own style.
As for Fluffy, he has such a strong connection with Hawaii, the culture, people, food. He based a few jokes on issues that locals would associate with, it’s like he is a local boy himself. His jokes are family fun clean, and very clear easy to understand. He got me laughing so hard, at times, I started to tear. It was such a fun night.
I always enjoy the programs Hawaii Theatre has here. I have watched from musicals, Asian acrobatics, dancing concerts, and now a comedian act, and looking forward to returning. We usually arrive early to get parking, and find somewhere to eat and take our time before the show.
Meter parking available if you’re lucky. Otherwise, there is a open parking lot that you pre-​pay at a machine that takes credit cards at $ 8 for 10 hours, or $ 3 per hour and you place the receipt on your dash. There is a garage parking right next to the theatre as well.

My first time in this theater I saw the Sound of Music and it was awesome this time I saw a country group called Girls
Guns and Glory. Oh well, the theater is even more beautiful than ever. To be honest this group was good, it’s just I’m a little bit country i.e. Hank Williams.

Once upon a time in America. Edit: Once upon a time in Territory of Hawaii, USA…
The year was 1922 and a grand Theatre opened to the people of Hawaii. The decision to name it «The Hawaii»… Made it truly «The Pride of the Pacific» and rivaled any theatre from New York to San Francisco. The Neoclassical and Art Deco architecture was a joy to the eyes. The fine details in every inch only proved the love!
In the early years «The Hawaii» offered vaudeville and silent movies. Legendary actors like Charlie Chaplin (the real one, not Robert Downey Jr.), Mary Pickford, and a young Anna May Wong graced the screens! Of course, those were the early years, and when talkies and color movies finally arrived this was the place to be! Sadly, I couldn’t experience the golden years of Hollywood, but I heard it was pretty magical.
The arrival of WWII was a horrible tragedy, especially in places like Honolulu since this was ground-​zero after the Pearl Harbor attack that saw us lose well over 2,000 military and civilians in a single attack! This was the real deal, minus any love story between Ben Affleck & Jennifer Garner.
During those dark years of WWII, I remember my Grandma telling us stories of how scary it was. The possible land invasion of Imperial Japan was high on the list! Luckily «The Hawaii» offered movies by then… Entrance fee for well under a dollar, and popcorn what? A nickel? However, I’m sure my Grandma’s job as a seamstress didn’t pay top dollar. Yet, with all the world events going on… It was still a magical moment in history to be alive! The golden age of Hollywood, the brotherhood & sisterhood of WWII, and yes, the hope for a better world…
Today, it’s more for special events and plays, but the main thing is that it has survived the ravages of time! In the 1970’s & 1980’s it was in a state of disrepair and every corner was thug haven. It was a sad place to be. Fortunately, a non-​profit group filled with concerned citizens decided to help save this landmark! It now stands proudly almost like the days of yore!
Theatres like «The Hawaii» gave many the hope for a better world. It gave the soldiers, sailors, marines, and the backbone of the families… The women… Hope. I thank you, «The Hawaii» for being a part of my Grandma’s hope and later for my parents too… I didn’t really experience it like they did, but oh the stories Grandma told…
SOLID. Architecture & History. 4.7-STARS!

The theater is gorgeous, and I’ve always enjoyed performances here. There aren’t bad seats. However, this evening I went on a school night to support a school performance; I’m a teacher and wanted to support my students in the show. I brought my almost six-​month old in a carrier since I am nursing him, and I didn’t want to leave him at home after being in daycare all day. Also, we were only staying for the first half. The theater manager made me buy a full-​price ticket for him, even though he is clearly an infant and I was wearing him. She cited «policy» but clearly this policy makes no sense! I also got dirty looks from ushers for bringing in a baby. However, I’ll point out that he never made a peep and was nursing on me and sleeping under a blanket the entire time!

I’ve been here a small handful of times and the last time I went here on 02/​02/​2016 just solified why I don’t make this place a must theatre to attend.
Cons:
(1) The acoustics are horrible, to the point I could not make out some of the dialogue that was being spoken on the stage.
(2) The person in charge of lighting should be fired. Seriously: who sets up lights on the stage to point outward into the audience, therefore blinding some guests to cover their eyes because of the lights!?!
(3) I was just here for a blues night and one of the employees was standing behind the row I was sitting in and started whistling really, really, really loud through out the songs being performed. It was really shrill and ruined the night for me.
Pro:
(1) I like the marquee but that is the only thing I like about this theatre.

FLUFFY, FLUFFY, FLUFFY, FLUFFY!
Gabriel «Fluffy» Iglesias had a last minute show here at the Hawaii Theatre. At first, I wondered why he had a show here, cause the last two he had was held at Blaisdell. At the time of buying the tickets, I didn’t really care cause its Fluffy, hes hilarious! I wasn’t a huge fan of all these ridiculous additional charges that youre charged when you buy your ticket online, so I opted in calling them instead. Buying tickets over the phone was a breeze, other than the fact that they STILL charged those ridiculous charges. So again… whatever.
We car pooled with my cousin them, and parked in Mark’s Garage which has a ridiculous parking structure and at a ridiculous price of $ 10 as well WTF?! We parked and as soon as we got downstairs to walk to the Hawaii Theatre, there was a line! So thankful that it was assigned seats, cause if it wasn’t…oh boy we’d have some crap seats. The thing I didn’t like was the fact that it was SO cramped! Like seriously no extra leg room, no personal space, you get better seating at the movie theater! Literally knees touching the seat in front of you and I’m only 5′ 1″…But I did love how beautiful it was inside. All the paintings, the structure, the certain draping, so beautiful!

Actually I’m more of a 4.5 star giver in this case because half a star off for no parking of its own.
That said, there’s parking elsewhere, for anywhere from reasonable to horrible prices, but there’s also street parking if you’re a lucky soul. :) I’m never a lucky parking soul so I’m relegated to paying for it. Or carpool and chip in.
Hawaii Theatre is a lovely location and it’s a good venue for traveling groups! I like their offerings, with a mix of local and international performances. It is a historic location with art deco designed interior. It’s a whole different ambiance!!! I’ve seen many a performance here, including Stomp, the Narcissus Queen pageant, some local shows, and most recently, The Goodwill Mission Tour from Taiwan with two performances of Taiwanese opera.
It’s almost better to get balcony seats as it’s stadium (raised) seating. The orchestra section is not as raised so you will still get heads in your way. The upstairs is raised so you have a pretty good view no matter what! :) I’m short so I care about these things.

I visited this theater a couple of weeks ago with my class. I must say I was pretty impressed. It was clean, everything was organized, the employees were really nice and accommodating. And most important the children loved the play and this fun experience.

Terry Who???
Convinced that this guy who won America’s Got Talent was absolutely incredible by my cousin, I consented to attend this show by Terry Fator at the Hawaii Theatre, though not ever having heard of him nor seen any of his work…
For 2 solid hours plus a «hana hou,» Terry showcased his amazing ventriloquism and awesome singing! He told the story of how he came to win America’s Got Talent and currently headline in Las Vegas. Truly an amazing show, with cute puppets! But my all time favorite was Kani Kapila, the Wisconsin Hawaiian who could sing Hawaiian falsetto in perfect pitch, while accompanied with hula by Taylor, Terry’s most beautiful assistant!
Another amazing show at the Hawaii Theatre and worth every penny to see! Can’t wait to see Terry’s Las Vegas show!

Just finish watching the play «It’s only a Play» starring Joe Moore and Linda Purl. It was okay. It’s started slow but the two actors that stole the show was Cathy Foy «Virginia Noyes» and Ryan Wuestewald «Frank Finger». Ryan’s performance on when he was a little kid was excellent! This is one show where you should not bring any children due to the foul language. And a word that starts with Cxxx really shocked me that they would used it in this play.

Great shows here, from local entertainers to mainland acts. It’s beautifully restored, and they like to keep it that way. So no sneaking food or drink inside and no photography. The ushers will shine their flashlights on you. For good reason. The materials to reupholster the seats are rare and expensive. A beautiful building, look up when you get there.

It was my very first time to this location. I have never been to the Hawaii theater center and let me tell you, it was amazing how this venue went from a movie theater to a performing arts center. I thought that the restoration of this iconic theatre was well done and I am glad to attend the night at the bard at this location and I am glad that I have gone there for the very first time and the next time I go, I want to make sure that I want to enjoy more events in the long run and will want to go back should the night at the bard really comes back again to the Hawaii theater again and I am glad it was free!!!

This venue deserves five stars alone based on the fact that its absolutely breathtaking. The theater oozes history from the gorgeous marquee in front of the theater, to the balconies, to the art work on the ceiling, to the chairs that you’re pretty sure may give you hemorrhoids, you feel as if you’re transported in time to a time that going to the theater was something special and exciting.
I’ve been here twice so far, and both times its been breath taking. They offer a great variety of shows to include authors, comedians, movies, film festivals, dancing, etc.
They recently upgraded their sound system, so run, don’t walk here. Don’t allow this little gem to sit empty.

Beautiful on the inside. Spooky on the outside.. there was a police officer who told us to «hold on to your bags»! He moved the line away from the curb, towards the building on Hotel Street. There were five homeless people sitting along the wall, sharing a plate lunch, a couple of feet from us as we waited in line. The sidewalk looked wet… maybe from contents of the nearby garbage can? All I was thinking was… please open the door and let us get our seat! I tried my best to hold my breath. .didn’t want to smell anything unpleasant..

I worked downtown so this building is a standard for downtown. The Hawaii sign must be in some movie or something in Japan that unbeknowst to us is the perfect spot for a newlywed bride and groom to stand in meth shishi urine with a $ 3,000+ dress and $ 500+ dress shoes and a limo next to homeless people vomiting. If this is such a wonderful spot to take pictures– please call up the local police and have them solve our meth addicts problems and clean Chinatown.
As a theater it is a wonderful venue– I have been to a few graduations that were in the theater and a few shows. At night the shows are better as police do block off and patrol better the area.
After one graduation on a weekend on an afternoon all of the family and friends exited from the ocean side of the building to be pushed away from the pond courtyard because a group of well-​meaning people hand out huge plate lunches to the homeless and the homeless did not appreciate people using the theater or the pond area. I have no idea who was in charge of planning that day — but they should from now on add are there any mass homeless feedings going on next to the event. I understand why people get upset when laws are loosened for the homeless but for safety reasons this should not have happened let alone on a graduation.
Inside there is a nice little history in the front window and they are able to share more about the history. It is a welcome remodel that makes downtown only better. The inside carries voice and sound so very well. It is a great small theater. Clean, fine, and well made.

I love love love this theatre. It’s a landmark that has been beautifully refurbished. I’ve danced here and the backstage is comfortable and the staff is awesome!
No food and drink in the theatre but they do offer refreshments in the mezzanine level during intermissions. They offer a variety of shows too, lots of Hawaiian music, hula concerts, comedy shows, acrobatics and more.
If you haven’t been to a show here yet… where the heck have you been!!! Get your butt down there!!!

Hawaii Theater is a big, beautiful old building, and a treat to visit.
First there is the bright marquee, announcing to all who pass that this is a place filled with a variety of events. I like to leave my tickets at the box office until the night of the show, and it inserts me directly into the «feel» for the event. Standing in line, chatting with the other audience members, guessing at the show length. Then we enter through the tall glass doors, handing tickets to the ushers. The next set of doors, wood this time, is staffed by more ushers who point the fastest way to your seats. Into the narrow lobby, carpeted and hung with paintings. Finally to the doors to the theater itself, to receive a program and final seat instructions.
Now inside, sit back in comfort on deep velvet seats. Know that no matter what happens on stage this night, you will first be entertained by the building. Mosaic ceilings, gold leaf everywhere, classy and filled with charm.
I’ve sat in almost every section and never had a truly bad seat. The upper level gets a bit steep for my taste, but the sound is clear, and the stage is visible. It is my favorite place to take in any type of show.

Unilocal 365 Challenge #162/​365
This review is long overdue but I like this theater. It has character. I can stand outside Mark’s Garage and stare up at the theater and wonder what was it like back in the days in the 40’s era or earlier?
This theater alone breathes history of Hawaii’s yesteryears. I didn’t realize that it was only in the 90’s that the renovations began.
It makes you wonder that when they first started renovating, if it looked like the beginning scene of the movie, Phantom of the Opera where they were auctioning the theater furniture?
The renovations and restoration of this theater is amazing. I love the different designs intertwined that gives the character of the theater.
You can picture the different fashion modes through different decades attending performances and events. You wonder if any of the volunteers who are over 60 have any history with the theater as well.
As soon as you walk in, you can smell the mustiness of the building that adds to the appeal. You walk up the stairs to the balcony level and you can sit in a room where there is a piano and paintings.
Balcony level is beautiful especially if you are sitting right at the edge. It makes you want to wear one of those big poofy gowns with a fan and looking glass. You want to stand up in your seats, clap your hands and yell «Bravo!!!» or in Hawaii «Hana Hou!»
I would love to explore the entire theater and just admire everything. As I shared, this theater alone has such character and history just breathing through everything that you just cannot help but appreciate that it gives you a sense of stepping back into time and thanking the group that loved the theater so much that they gave of themselves to preserve it for Hawaii.