Regent on Broadway

Designed in 1929 by Charles Hollinshed of Sydney, the theatre complex was officially opened to the public on 4 July 1930. Its original use was as a cinema and opera house, but, with the decline of the movie over the decades, the Regent closed in 1991. The Palmerston North City Council acquired the building in 1992 by swapping it with the previous owner for the Opera House. still lying underneath the carpet. The mezzanine floor has carved kowhaiwhai panels in the ceiling. The building is listed as a Category 1 Historic Place by Heritage New Zealand. ==Today==

Regent On Broadway is described as being "among the top four performing arts centres in New Zealand", alongside Wellington Town Hall, Christchurch Town Hall and Auckland Town Hall. The auditorium can seat 1393 people: 721 on the ground floor and 672 in the circle (upstairs). Some of the downstairs seating can be removed for functions such as dinners and ballroom dancing. Adjacent to the auditorium are several small dressing rooms, and larger dressing rooms are up a flight of stairs. The venue boasts a large function room, upstairs from the mezzanine, and a rehearsal studio, which is used for a variety of activities, ranging from ballet dancing to stage rehearsals. Because of the wide range of activities available, it is one of New Zealand's busiest venues. It remains the only large theatre in the greater Palmerston North area. ==References==