Preservation Wayne's Downtown Historic Theatre Tours - Aug. 27

[Gistok]

Here is an early [[1920s) view of the Rotunda Lobby of the Fillmore/State Theatre. It was the only one of the downtown palaces that had a "horseshoe" grand staircase [[common in very large theatres). When it opened in 1925 as the State Theatre, it had 2,967 seats. Due to cabaret style terranced seating, the main floor of the theatre has room for a dancefloor, and total seating was reduced to 2,200 seats, although all 1,500 main floor seats are believed to be in storage.

The Rotunda Lobby was the space between the outer lobby and the inner grand foyer that led to the auditorium. Because land along Woodward was very expensive, most of the buildings Woodward frontage was taken up by stores, with 3 narrow lobby spaces to pass thru on your way to the auditorium in back of the block.

The Rotunda lobby had a grand piano. Most mid-to-large size theatres had lobby pianos to keep the patrons mind off the fact that they were waiting for the next show. The doors beyond were the "holdout doors". When the previous audience left the theatre, they left by side exits onto Elizabeth and Columbia Ave. Then the next set of patrons could entre the theatre via the 3 story grand foyer, beyond the rotunda lobby doors.

The curtains surrounding the mirrors in the upper rotunda space no longer survive. Also note the 2 large palms. This corresponded with the building that the theatre is housed in... the "Francis Palms Building". Of course any palms in this location would have a short lifespan, since there is no natural light in the rotunda lobby or the grand foyer.

This image is from the Theatre Historiical Society, but it may be a Manning Brothers image.