Chinateatern

Chinateatern (also China Teatern in Sweden often abbreviated China; dt The China Theatre, known internationally as engl China Theatre. ) Is a Swedish cinema, musicals, cabaret, revue and classical theater in Stockholm. The private theater opened in 1928 is located directly on Berzelii Park in the district of Norrmalm in the center of the Swedish capital. It is considered one of the largest and most important music halls in Scandinavia.

History

Formation until the mid- 1940s

The Chinateatern was scheduled 1926-1928 on the initiative of the Swedish film producer Charles Magnusson and structurally integrated into the existing already since 1862 Restaurant and Unterhaltungsetablissement Berns Salonger. The architect Albin Stark, who was very interested in Chinese architecture was in 1922 specifically traveled to the Middle Kingdom, to get some inspiration for his style. These suggestions were also incorporated into the architectural design of the Chinateatern. The architecturally special about the theater and the cinema is that it does not rely on without supporting pillars and is guaranteed by each of the approximately 1250 seats from a clear view. Then the golden Chinese characters play above the entrance to the theater at "The House with the perfect view " (or " the perfect views ) ".

For the interior design, among others, with wood and inlay work of artists and designers Ewald Dahlskog responsible, whose works were combined with those of his colleagues Einar Forseth and examples of Chinese art. On the ceiling of the demonstration hall stars were painted in 1485, which accurately reflect the starry sky of the equinox of the year 1870. The complete design of the Chinateatern is still preserved in the original.

The theater was inaugurated on 19 October 1928, the Swedish premiere of silent film Anna Karenina with Greta Garbo, musically accompanied by a 17 -strong orchestra. Originally intended as a silent movie palace, the Chinateatern developed as early as 1929 as a popular venue the come in fashion shows: The Swedish revue artist Ernst Rolf moved this year with its complete show program at the China. In the following years, the establishment became the largest and most important music halls in Scandinavia, the importance as a cinema became increasingly occurring in the background.

Revue stars from all over Europe and the United States occurred in China theaters during the Second World War, the now internationally known Revue Palace in neutral Sweden was popular place for entertainment acts from around the world: Even in 1943 here were vaudeville artists such as the screwball pair Frank Melino and Barbara Randall, pantomime and vaudeville artist George Campo or the juggler Béla Kremo who came from Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, the U.S. and other countries, with German artists and dancers of the Berlin Scala together on stage.

Mid -1940s to the Present

In the late 1940s, the 1950s and 1960s, the Chinateatern became a popular venue for musicals. Also revues, vaudeville, movies and shows known international entertainers such as Maurice Chevalier and Lena Horne were offered as before. While it functioned in the 1970s and early 1980s, just as cinema, experienced a period of decline and was almost converted to the office complex with parking, it has been since the mid- 1980s after a change of ownership as a venue for Swedish and international revues and shows reactivated. The first was at the re-opening a show of Swedish-born Hollywood stars Ann- Margret, followed by Swedish entertainment shows and international musicals such as Cats, Grease and Little Shop of Horrors.

In 1989 the theater was extensively renovated and restored after a new change of ownership and is now used during the day as a place for business events and conferences with attached dining facilities. In the evening it is still as a cinema and theater in operation.

To date, the Chinateatern is also used by classical theaters of Stockholm as temporary quarters and Second Stage, among others, the Royal Dramatic Theatre. This also popular Swedish actors and actresses are seeing on stage, so in 2002 Peter Haber in The Government Inspector. 2009-2010 is Rolf in Hairspray as Edna Turnblad Lassgård in Chinateatern on stage.