Coronado Theatre History

June 1926
Construction of the Coronado Theatre begins. The Rockford Enterprises Group, headed by Willard Van Matre, commissioned Peoria architect Frederic Klein to design the movie palace, which was proclaimed in local papers to be "the largest auditorium in the city."

May 1927
The name "Coronado" was chosen through a contest sponsored by the Rockford Register Gazette and Great States Theaters. Other finalists included Normaine, Madrid, Avalon, Valencia, Seville, Black Hawk, Paradise, Cortez and Aaragon.

October 9, 1927
The Coronado Theatre's grand opening. On its first day of operation, the Coronado hosted 9,000 patrons during three showings of "Swim Girl Swim," a silent film starring Bebe Daniels.

1927
Bob Hope appears at the Coronado in "Roberta."

1928
The Coronado hosted legends of show business, the Marx Brothers. That same year, the Coronado showed its first "talkie," the Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolsen.

1932
Louis St. Pierre, the Coronado Theatre's manager, received national acclaim for perfecting a devise to demonstrate the game of bridge to theater audiences. Bridge lessons were held regularly at the Coronado during the Depression.

1941
Gypsy Rose Lee scandalizes the community by appearing at the Coronado, performing her striptease routine on Easter Sunday!

1943
Soldiers from nearby Camp Grant used the Coronado to stage a musical revue/war bond rally titled "We're Tellin' You." The original musical production, involving 125 enlisted men and WAACs, was featured later in Life Magazine and helped raise $175,000 for the war effort.

1953
Willard Van Matre dies at the age of 63. Control of the Coronado Theatre goes to his widow.

1957
Sammy Davis, Jr. appears at the Coronado.

1960
Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy makes a campaign stop at the Coronado to wildly enthusiastic crowds.

1963
Liberace appears at the Coronado.

1964
Louis Armstrong appears at the Coronado.

1967
Milton Berle appears at the Coronado as a headliner for Tebala Ladies Night.

July 1970
The Coronado Theatre was sold to the Kerasotes Corporation. Upon finalizing the sale, George Kerasotes stated that the acquisition of the "showplace of Rockford" by his group was a proud event in his business career, because the Coronado had long been recognized as one of the finest theatres in the nation.

1973
The Land of Lincoln Theatre Organ Society forms to restore the Coronado's Grande Barton Pipe Organ and to host concerts.

1979
The Coronado is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1980
The Coronado is entered onto the State of Illinois Register of Historic Sites (one of only six in the state at that time). It is also listed as an historical landmark of the City of Rockford, Illinois.

1984
In its 56th year, the Coronado is closed to movie business. The Disney feature, "Mickey's Christmas Carol" was the last movie scheduled in the theatre.

1987
"Personal Foul," which was largely filmed in Rockford, premiered at the Coronado Theatre. The debut's packed house was made up of curious spectators, as well as the movie's stars, David Morse and Adam Arkin, and hundreds of local "background artists."

1991
The Illinois Lottery's weekly game show, Fortune Hunt, was broadcasted from the Coronado stage.

1995
The Rockford Area Arts Council commissions architectural firm van Dijk Pace Westlake to conduct a feasibility study on restoring the Coronado and/or Midway Theatres. The study recommends expanding and renovating the Coronado, creating a comprehensive performing arts and entertainment center.

1997

The Kerasotes Theatre Organization donates the Coronado Theatre to the City of Rockford.

1998

The Friends of the Coronado is formed to raise $18.5 million to renovate and restore the historic

movie palace.

May, 1999
Broadway performers Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley return to Rockford to headline the last production in the Coronado prior to the 18-month renovation.

January, 2001 - The Coronado Theatre re-opens. The Grand Re-Opening celebration includes a black tie gala, two "Lights On" concerts and four days of community open houses.

Fall, 2002 – The Coronado celebrates its 75th anniversary with a gala event.

January, 2006 – Coronado Performing Arts Center Board of Directors is appointed by Rockford Mayor

Larry Morrissey.

February, 2006 – Scotland’s highly regarded Black Watch Pipes and Drums Band appears at the Coronado.

January 15, 2007 – Michael Goldberg becomes the Coronado’s first executive director.

January 15, 2007 - Rockford's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day City Celebration is held

at the Coronado for the first time.

March, 2007 – The Coronado presents a Spring Preview Season, with performances by the Soweto Gospel Choir, the Golden Dragon Acrobats of China and the Glenn Miller Orchestra.

March, 2007 – The Coronado On-Stage Series debuts with singer/songwriter Susan Werner and An Evening of Irish Music with John Williams and Dean Magraw.

June 21, 2007 – The inaugural “Coronado Presents…” season of shows is announced to the public and series subscriptions go on sale.

June 30, 2007 – MetroCentre’s management of the Coronado officially ends.

July 1, 2007 – The Coronado Performing Arts Center’s Box Office opens under the management of CPAC staff with a newly-installed ticketing system.

October 20, 2007 - Arlo Guthrie appears on stage as the first show of the inaugural "Coronado Presents..." season.

April 6, 2008 - The Four Bitchin' Babes:  Hormonal Imbalance...A Mood Swinging Musical Revue close out the "Coronado Presents" season with what they believe is a first for their show - 8 men in the front row.

Feb. 21, 2009 - Comedian and actor Martin Short appears at the Coronado for the first time in the Friends of the Coronado's first annual fundraising event to benefit CPAC.

March 21, 2009 - Music icon Gordon Lightfoot returns to the Coronado after a 22 year absence to perform many of his hits, including "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" and "Sundown".

June 21 - 23 , 2009 - Mamma Mia!, hit Broadway musical, has a three day run and is the Coronado's first summer show since CPAC took over.

September 3 - 6, 2009 - CPAC sells tickets for the On The Waterfront (OTW) main stage performances.

November 5 , 2009 - Comedian Jerry Seinfeld returns to the Coronado and delivers an excellent set.

February 5 - 6, 2010 - Menopause The Musical brings in women from all walks of life to vent about the one thing they all have in common, menopause.

March 27, 2010 - Comedic legends, Cheech & Chong, stop at the Coronado during their "Get it Legal" tour.

April 16, 2010 - The Coronado Performing Arts Center hosts Cafe Coronado, a fundraising event.  An intimate on-stage reception with musical guests Joan Curto and Sandra Reeves-Phillips.