Developers of the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, which reopened with a Bob Dylan concert this week, has preserved its best features while enhancing sound and light elements.

 

By Jon Craig

 

Developers of the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, which reopened with a Bob Dylan concert this week, has preserved its best features while enhancing sound and light elements.

 

“We want people to walk in and say, ‘Wow, this is a beautiful theater,’’’ said Jon Dindas, production manager. “It’s very important to stay true to the roots of the place and respect the history.”

 

There’s plenty of musical history to respect: Janis Joplin played at the Cap two months before her death in 1970. David Bowie, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd, and Traffic also rocked the Port Chester venue in its heyday. Even Lon Chaney performed there.

 

Concerts scheduled this fall include J. Geils, Blondie, Ben Folds Five, Spin Doctors, Al Green, Indigo Girls, Lyle Lovett, the Moody Blues, and the Steve Miller Band.

 

So why Port Chester? Producer Peter Shapiro, who co-owns the Brooklyn Bowl, wanted to tap into the legacy of the Capitol Theater and take advantage of location close to commuter rails and interstate highways. He spent more than $2 million in renovations including an advanced sound system. There’s also plenty of free parking at 1 Westchester Avenue. A video promoting the past and future can be found at http://vimeo.com/44249784

 

The theater, built in 1926, was designed by architect Thomas Lamb and listed on The National Register of Historic Places in 1984, the year after its purchase by Marvin Ravikoff, who restored the interior.

 

The Cap’s developers have adapted to building codes and our supersized society by removing original, smaller seats on the main floor for about 1,800 fans in general-admission, standing-room-only concerts. The balcony’s original 750 seats remain, with new padding. Portable seats can be added to the ground floor for performers who prefer to play to a seated audience of 1,400.

 

The theater has ten high-definition projectors that can light up both walls and the 65-foot dome ceiling.

 

The Capitol has been used in recent years for band practices, bar mitzvahs, and corporate retreats. The last commercial concerts were in 1997 when David Bowie and the Rolling Stones taped MTV specials. (Phish, Blues Traveler, and Max Creek played there in the early 1990s.)

 

“The Capitol Theater is a rock and roll icon and we are going to treat her as such,’’ Shapiro said. “We are going to spoil her and give her the best of everything.’’