New Orleans’ Civic Theatre is slated to reopen this month after an extensive renovation, rendering this historic landmark one of the city’s most modern and technologically sophisticated theaters and performance venues. The building, which was constructed in 1906 by architect Sam Stone, is considered by some to be the oldest surviving theater in New Orleans.
Seen here in the 1950s, the historic Civic Theatre will reopen later this month.
“We are just putting the finishing touches on everything right now,” says general manager Gail Varuso. The space, which has lain dormant for close to 30 years, has previously operated under various names (including the Lafayette and the Star) but was renamed the Civic in 1951 and later the Civic Disco during the 1970s.
As part of the renovation process, the venue has been painstakingly restored to its former glory while simultaneously making the necessary updates to the performance systems to be at the vanguard of the city’s performance spaces. Some of the technical improvements have included the implementation of LED technology, the construction of motorized fly systems, enhanced architectural lighting and a versatile air-assisted floor system.
In terms of the aesthetic updates, “One of the things they were able to do is preserve a lot of the plaster in the main part of the theater. We were able to find people to come in and repair and restore that beautiful part of the theater,” explains Varuso. A giant crystal chandelier, given as a gift to the Civic in the 1940s from the Roosevelt Hotel, will also hang in the newly renovated space as a reminder of the theater’s historic roots as well as its new-and-improved performance quality. Varuso herself is personally looking forward to seeing live theater return to the venue, which in its day saw performances such as Peter Pan with Mary Martin grace the stage. “They have really married the old with the very new,” she explains of the renovation process. “They kept the integrity of the theater while still leaving it with the flexibility of potentially expanding to suit more modern types of events.”
In other news, Irvin Mayfield’s I Club at the New Orleans JW Marriott is expected to close its doors permanently on December 31. The performance space, which opened in July 2011 after replacing the hotel’s Henri restaurant, played home to weekly performances by many of the city’s top musicians, including the venue’s Grammy and Billboard Award-winning namesake. While there has been no formal announcement, The I Club is succeeded by Mayfield’s other venue, Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse in the Royal Sonesta.
