State Theatre relives its historical glitz and glamour

l Staff reporter l 

The State Theatre, a Grade I historical site at North Point, has unveiled a new logo to commemorate its 70th anniversary, its new owner, New World Development has announced.

Established in 1952, State Theatre (formerly known as Empire Theatre) is a cultural landmark where the world’s greatest artists and groups once performed.

Over the past two years, NWD’s conservation team has been conducting historical research, collecting artefacts and recording oral histories, while gradually reorganising different aspects of the “cultural movements” of the State Theatre from the 1950s to the 1980s.

Currently under restoration and conservation by NWD, the heritage theatre has launched a new logo that befits its revitalized identity.

The logo design looked at minute details in its conceptualization and took into consideration a collection of artifacts like old movie tickets, movie programmes, staff uniform collected by the conservation team, and the classic combination of burgundy and gold colors of the old theatre curtain.

It also paid special homage to the theater’s iconic parabolic exoskeleton truss on the roof that has left an indelible mark in our collective memory.

“The new logo embodies the State Theatre’s former glory and highlights New World’s unwavering commitment to conserving our common heritage and promoting cultural exchange for our next generation,” says Adrian Cheng, CEO of New World Development.

He adds that for such an extraordinary cultural asset for Hong Kong, the re-branding represents the legacy of an era of glittering entertainment which will soon be revitalized bya series of world-class entertainment, dining and cultural experience.

To commemorate the State Theatre’s 70 years of glitz andglamour, NWD is also organising a series of immersive theatre dinner soiree under the theme of “DreamState”.

The dinner was a nostalgic experience attended by former residents and cultural icons associated with the theater. Guests strolled past a scene from the past with sounds, videos, paintings and over 20 rare artifacts including a 1950s movie programme, old cinema tickets and photos, to rediscover Hong Kong’s and the State Theatre’s classic moments.

The theatre has been a community hub to the North Point kaifongs, they gathered at the dinner to reminisce about the good old days.

 “It feels that sitting in a time machine, going back to the glory days of the State Theatre.” says Florence Lai, a former resident associated with the theatre.

In place of popcorn, snack stalls served traditional sugarcane juice and grilled dried squid. The dinner menu made reference to a 1950s nightclub menu, wrapped up with a dessert shaped like the parabolic exoskeleton truss of the State Theatre roof.

Hong Kong’s legendary DJ Andrew Bull led performers, including renowned Canadian dancer Katya Virshilas, to bring scenes from the Empire Theatre in the 1950s, a classic East-meets-West nightclub scene from the 1960s, and the glamorous dance floors of Hong Kong in the 1970s and 1980s. Timeless songs like “Give me a kiss” and “Laser” complemented the journey back in time.