Celebrating 100 Years of The Cap

The Capitol Theatre, designed by noted architect Thomas Lamb, opened on Wednesday, August 18, 1926 as a dignified playhouse with great decorative beauty and luxurious comfort. The open letter to Port Chester residents published in the newspaper that week boasted that it would contain “the only theater refrigerating system in Westchester County.” The grand opening, which included a performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” by a ten-piece orchestra and a showing of Sea Wolf, sold out all of its seats (then 2,000), and had to turn hundreds away.

People traveled from near and far to see shows at The Capitol. Hollywood kept the theater going for decades with films like Casablanca, Gone with the Wind and The Taming of the Shrew. Enthusiasts could pay as little as 5 cents to see a double-feature Sunday matinee.

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By the 1970s, The Capitol Theatre had fully earned its reputation as the Original Rock Palace, transforming into a psychedelic haven at the center of the live-music universe. Legendary artists like Janis Joplin, who famously debuted “Mercedes Benz” after writing it at a nearby bar named Vahsen’s, played the stage along with boundary-pushing acts like Pink Floyd, Traffic, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna, and so many more. The Grateful Dead alone played 18 shows between 1970 and 1971, including a legendary February 18th, 1971 performance that featured five song debuts in a single night, an era-defining show preserved and widely traded by Tapers and fans. While working security at The Capitol Theatre during our 1970s heyday, Ken and Judy Lee helped preserve history by recording shows using a Sony TC-124 and two Sony F-95 microphones, many of which can be streamed on Archive.org. The Grateful Dead’s bond with the The Capitol Theatre ran deep, as Jerry Garcia once said, “There are only two theaters, man, there are only two places that are set up groovy for music and for smooth stage changes, good lighting, and all that…the Fillmore East and The Capitol Theatre.”

From 1973 to 1975, promoter Eddie Claridge ushered The Cap into a raw, fearless post-psychedelic era. As arena culture loomed elsewhere, The Capitol leaned into marathon nights and musical freedom, hosting artists like Bonnie Raitt, Electric Light Orchestra, Hot Tuna, B.B. King, Fleetwood Mac, and Frank Zappa. Shows stretched until sunrise, curfews were nonexistent, fans climbed rooftops to sneak inside, and musicians wandered backstage unannounced. The Capitol became a place defined by endurance and spontaneity, where the music set the rules, the nights ran long, and history unfolded in real time.

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In 1983, The Capitol Theatre was purchased by local developer Marvin Ravikoff and a new round of renovations began. On Wednesday, March 7, 1984, The Capitol Theatre was open for business again. Only a quarter of the theater was filled for its grand opening performance of Misalliance that night, but Ravikoff had no doubt the revived theater would be a success. In 1984, The Capitol Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Capitol Theatre was mainly used to put on plays and musicals during the mid-’80s, and it underwent continuous renovations for several years. There was a brief resurgence of rock concerts in the early ’90s when well-known acts like Phish and Blues Traveler visited the Port Chester stage.

However, due to the poor economy at the time, it was difficult for any theater to thrive, and the small size of The Capitol no longer appealed to top-name entertainment. Ravikoff turned in a different direction and hoped to attract conventions and seminars instead. Eventually, the idea to turn the theater into a catering hall for weddings and formal events came about.

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Throughout the 1990s, The Capitol Theatre entered a transitional chapter that reflected both its versatility and its enduring pull for major artists. The space hosted plays, musicals, and selective concerts, welcoming bands like Phish and Blues Traveler, with Phish making the venue a recurring home through eight performances from ‘90-’92, including their beloved annual Thanksgiving jams.

The decade’s most iconic moments arrived in 1997, when MTV leased the theatre for its Live From the 10 Spot series. In a legendary twist, David Bowie stepped in on October 14, 1997 to replace the Rolling Stones at the last minute, delivering an unforgettable performance. Just days later, on October 25, the Rolling Stones returned to honor their original date, making it two historic, once-in-a-lifetime shows in a single month. By the late 1990s, the main floor seats were removed and the building shifted into a catering hall for weddings and private events, yet even in this era the room continued to attract major names, hosting artists like Katy Perry and Hootie & the Blowfish, proving the magic of The Cap never fully left the room.

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The 2010s marked a defining renaissance for The Capitol Theatre, beginning with its rebirth in 2012 under visionary owner Peter Shapiro, who reimagined the venue as a modern “music planetarium” powered by cutting-edge sound, lighting, and visuals. After a full restoration, The Cap reopened on September 4, 2012 with a historic return by Bob Dylan, a performance that instantly set the tone for the new era. Dylan delivered a masterclass in reinvention, reshaping classics with wit and fresh arrangements against the backdrop of the theater’s revived atmosphere.

Central to this revival was Phil Lesh, founding member and bassist of Grateful Dead, whose deep bond with the venue helped anchor The Cap’s resurgence and reconnect it to the cultural fabric of Port Chester. His 2012 residency proved pivotal, and in 2013, Furthur, featuring Lesh and Bob Weir, sold out eight nights in just 48 hours before adding a historic ninth show.

Throughout the decade, The Cap also proved its magnetic pull across generations, welcoming modern stars like Kacey Musgraves, The Strokes, Skrillex, Mac DeMarco, Tame Impala, and Snoop Dogg, while also welcoming back legends like Trey Anastasio, Joan Baez and more. As Shapiro has reflected, once artists like Janis Joplin and Pink Floyd fill a room, the air itself changes, and in the 2010s, The Capitol Theatre proved that its spirit resonates just as powerfully with today’s stars as it does with the legends who built its legacy.

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The 2020s have become a decade of cultivation and continuity at The Capitol Theatre, defined by building the next generation of jam band torchbearers while preserving the spirit that has lived in the room since the 1970s. The Cap has played a formative role in the rise of modern scene leaders like Billy Strings, Goose, Eggy, Dogs in a Pile, Daniel Donato and more. Artists who have grown up on its stages, returning again and again as their audiences expanded.

The decade has also honored its roots, most notably in March 2023 when Phil Lesh played his 100th show at The Cap, a transcendent night now immortalized by a banner hanging above the orchestra, marking a singular milestone in the venue’s history. Following Phil’s passing in late 2024, his legacy was powerfully cemented the next March through the Unbroken Chain shows led by his son Grahame, along with the unveiling of Phil Lesh Lane in Port Chester, ensuring his spirit is forever woven into the fabric of this community.

Legendary figures like Neil Young and Bob Dylan have continued to take the stage, reinforcing the room’s timeless pull. Annual traditions have deepened as well, with beloved residencies from Joe Russo's Almost Dead, Dark Star Orchestra’s New Year’s runs, and recurring holiday moments anchoring the calendar year after year. As we celebrate our 100th year, we cannot wait to see what new memories await us on this long, strange trip.

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