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The Capitol Theater was built in 1928 by Anthony Domino and Theodore Ingrassia for $175,000. The theatre opened in early February 1928 with The Sky Raider (1925) starring Charles Nungesser.
The auditorium was designed in an Atmospheric style with a Spanish garden theme by Rockford-based architect Wybe J. van der Meer. The theatre featured a 3-manual, 9-rank Kilgen organ (opus 4008).
The exterior features four terracotta medallions on its façade. These are, from left to right, pianist/composer Anton Rubinstein, William Shakespeare, opera stars Enrico Caruso, and Giuseppe Verdi.
The Capitol Theater closed in the 1970s, and after being used as a billiard hall and a Mexican restaurant, it has sat dormant ever since. It has decayed substantially over the last ten years.
The theatre’s original cloud machine is now housed at the Coronado Performing Arts Center.
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