First built in 1929, Melbourne's Regent Theatre was designed for a mixture of film and live entertainment and featured a Wurlitzer organ.
Popular with Melburnians and visitors alike, it soon came to be known as the city's "Palace of Dreams."
First the fire
At the height of its popularity, disaster struck. Fire gutted the Regent in 1945, completely destroying the auditorium.
A decision was quickly made to rebuild the Palace of Dreams in the spirit of the original building. The organ, a fixture of the original venue, was replaced and the new Regent Theatre opened in December 1947.
Then a loss of popularity
The arrival of television and changing public tastes are blamed for a subsequent loss of popularity and in 1970 the theatre furniture and fittings were auctioned off.
In the meantime, the theatre had been bought by Melbourne City Council and there were plans to demolish the theatre venue and create a city square in its place.
Saving the heritage
A strong push to save the theatre heritage represented by the Regent, including a union ban on demolition work, eventually resulted in a decision to rebuild the deserted venue.
Regent Theatre reopened in August 1996, retaining much of its original character, and yes, a new Wurlitzer organ has been put in place.
The theatre today
The historic Regent Theatre has become the venue of choice for large theatre productions, including musicals such as The Lion King which had its Melbourne season there from July 28, 2005, to June 4, 2006.
Regent Theatre is located on Collins St between Swanston and Russell Sts and is within walking distance of Flinders St Station. It is on Melbourne's tram routes.
For those wishing to drive to the theatre, note that very limited street parking is available. However, there are several carparks in the area. Charges apply at all carparks.
