A Short History of Proctor's Theatre
Since 1926, Proctor's Theatre, a historic, beautifully restored theatre located in the heart of downtown, has presented the very best in entertainment for New York's Capital Region. Proctor's Theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each season, Proctor's Theatre presents world-class singers, side-splitting comedians, electrifying dance programs, wonderful classical productions, including opera and symphony orchestras, and our forte, top-notch touring Broadway musicals. Many of our musicals come to us 'Direct From Broadway,' meaning that they use the same costumes, sets, and in some instances, the same performers as the Broadway productions.
Originally built as a vaudeville house, Proctor's Theatre has seen its stage graced by such legendary performers as comedians Red Skelton, George Burns and Gracie Allen, magicians Harry Blackstone Sr. & Jr., and bandleaders Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Glenn Miller. In recent years, we have hosted entertainers including Tony Bennett, Carol Channing and Robert Goulet. Singer Mariah Carey chose Proctor's as the site for her first concert special in 1993, and the theatre is featured prominently in the video for her big hit "Hero"
Proctors is the home of the Schenectady Symphony and the Northeast Ballet . We also host graduations, meetings, and receptions, and every Christmas season, we welcome the Melodies of Christmas, the holiday show performed by the Empire State Youth Orchestra and Chorus that raises funds for the Children's Hospital at Albany (NY) Medical Center. Proctor's shows movies on one of the largest screens in the Northeast, and we have tours of our theatre, open to the public, about once a month.
The early 1900s were a time of great prosperity in Schenectady. Theatre magnate Frederick Francis Proctor opened his first theater in Schenectady in 1912, near the Erie Canal. As the city thrived, Proctor sought to build a larger, more magnificent theater to accommodate and entertain the growing audiences. On April 14, 1925, ground was broken for the "new" Proctor's Theatre at its present site. Designed by famed theater architect Thomas Lamb, the Theater cost $1.5 million to complete. Mr. Proctor called his new theater "the largest, handsomest and most costly theater that I have ever built.." Boasting state-of-the-art equipment, a lavish interior, and a seating capacity of 2700, Proctor's Theatre in Schenectady became the showpiece of the chain.
On December 27, 1926, Proctor's Theatre opened with a showing of "Stranded in Paris," a silent film starring Bebe Daniels. People had lined up for hours, and once inside the theater, they were overwhelmed by the ornate decorations - plush carpeting, marble staircases, drinking fountains, and velvet draperies. Enthralled patrons didn't even seem to mind that the $50,000 Wurlitzer organ malfunctioned. Over 7100 paid admissions were collected that day, making F.F. Proctor's new vaudeville house a rousing success.
In 1928, sound equipment was installed at the theater, ushering in the age of the "talkies," which were fast replacing vaudeville as the public's entertainment choice. In 1929, F.F. Proctor sold most of his chain to the Radio Keith Orpheum Corporation (RKO). Mr. Proctor would pass away later that year.
On May 22, 1930, Proctors was the site of the first public demonstration of a new technology - television. An orchestra led by the image of a conductor that was sent from the General Electric laboratories over a mile away, and projected onto a seven-foot screen. The experiment was conducted by Dr. Ernst F. W. Alexanderson.
Throughout the 1930's and 40's, the city and the theater business thrived, as the Golden Age of movies and the Big Band Era brought record numbers of people out to the shows. After World War II, the fortunes of both the city and the Theatre declined. Television became increasing popular (and available), and the movie industry and Proctors suffered. By the 1970s the Theatre was taken over by the city, and was closed for unpaid taxes. Proctor's seemed destined to go the way of so many of its contemporaries - destroyed by the wrecking ball. But a group of concerned citizens formed the Arts Center and Theatre of Schenectady to save the Theatre from destruction, and purchased the Theatre from the city for the sum of $1 in 1979. After some much-needed renovations, the Theatre reopened with a sold-out performance by magician Harry Blackstone, Jr. , whose father had played at the Theatre several decades earlier.
In 2003 Proctors embarked on an exciting new $30 million expansion. A new stage house, three times the size of the prior stage, was completed in December 2005 to accommodate blockbuster touring Broadway shows. Phantom of the Opera ran to sold out houses for four weeks in February 2006 bringing a record 77,000 visitors to the Theatre.
In September 2007 the renovations of the adjacent former Carl Company were complete, adding the 434 seat GE Theatre with its extreme screen, iwerks movies, new conference spaces and new offices. The box office, a coffee shop and lots of space for theatergoers was also added. A new comedy series, small plays and musical events were added to create an exciting entertainment facility.
440 State Street, 4 doors from Proctors opened Upstairs @ 440 for small community productions and Proctors produced new works. 440 also served as workspace for artists as part of a growing downtown arts district.
With these changes, Proctors truly became a performing arts center and cultural anchor in downtown Schenectady. Community support has made this expansion possible.
