Piano with colourful past, grand price tag gets Goldilocks treatment

When it comes to protecting the Rockhampton theatre’s famous Steinway danced on by a globetrotting superstar, you’ve got to get the solution just right.

The Pilbeam Theatre's Steinway piano, estimated year of manufacture 1968, is worth between $350,000 and $400,000.

With a price tag of up to $400,000 and a legacy of being danced on by a globetrotting superstar, it’s a piano worth protecting.

The Pilbeam Theatre’s Steinway grand piano, which is older than the Rockhampton venue itself (it opened in 1979), has recently been moved into its own $16,000 climate-controlled box.

The cost of the After Piano Store and the piano itself was questioned by Cr Shane Latcham as councillors looked over various expenses during Tuesday’s communities committee meeting.

A council officer explained that they had been forced into constructing the special box due to the very limited storage space at the rear of the theatre.

“It’s got to be protected in the appropriate environment,” he said.

A plaque inside the piano says: This piano was presented to the Citizens of Rockhampton jointly by the Rockhampton Musical Union and the Rockhampton City Council.

“It can’t be too moist, too hot or too cold.”

It was previously housed in a special room now used to keep technical equipment.

He said the Steinway piano itself, estimated year of manufacture is 1968, was worth between $350,000 and $400,000.

“It’s the piano that world famous entertainer Peter Allen danced on when he came through here in the 1980s and made national news,“ he said.

”It’s quite a famous piano.”

Singer Peter Allen sitting at a piano. (Pic: Sydney Freelance Agency)

The piano and Allen were at the centre of a furore when he performed his show Peter Allen In Concert at the Pilbeam Theatre in October 1980.

Known for his flamboyant, high-energy performances, Allen got up and danced on top of the piano.

Unfortunately, that damaged the special surface of the piano.

News reports of the time said the Rockhampton City Council withheld $1000 from Allen’s ticket sales to cover the repairs.

In 2011, Rockhampton put on a production of The Boy From Oz, a musical based on the life of Peter Allen, with director Karen Crone assuring ratepayers there wouldn’t be a repeat of the scandal.

A photo from Rockhampton Regional Council’s production of The Boy From Oz (2011), starring Grant Pegg as Peter Allen. The Steinway was used in this promo photo but not used as part of the production.

“It is fantastic to have such a piece of history in the theatre, especially one associated with the musical I am directing,” Karen said at the time.

“While there will be plenty of glitz, glamour and some fabulous production numbers, I can assure residents that there will be no dancing on the Steinway this time.”

The council’s arts and communication officer Peter Mackay said many people had played the piano, including Roger Woodward and various winners of the Sydney Piano Competition.

Originally published as Piano with colourful past, grand price tag gets Goldilocks treatment