Opening Night - March 1, 2008

Patrons in the theater for the first time.

Mr. and Mrs. Murphy

Victoria Leopold enjoys good company in the McCorkle Lounge.

Pat Hull, Alma Abshier, Dick Hull.

First Notes

To celebrate the re-opening, Opera supporters were welcomed to the theater by Susan Danis and Maestro DeRenzi for a 'First Notes' dinner followed by a dress rehearsal of 'Rigoletto'.

Tile Work

The crew from Sun Tile works across the Lobby floor.

As a final step, the tile is grouted and polished.

Victoria Leopold Grand Atrium

Final work progresses on the atrium.

The completed Victoria Leopold Grand Atrium in the early evening, days prior to the re-opening of the Opera House.

Painting the Atrium

The decorative painting crew prepares to paint the atrium by protecting the 1926 wood columns.

Lead decorative artist Martha Tippin of Dean Tippin Studios works on pickling and staining the wood columns around the atrium.

One of the decorative painting crew works on blending small cracks in the columns which have been sealed and filled.

Wet Paint

Atrium

A view up the lobby atrium, which is draped in plastic as painting goes on on the second floor.

Atrium - Video

Painters work on a lift in the atrium, while carpenters install railings on the third floor and columns are sanded on the second floor.

Atrium

Work proceeds on the atrium.

Maestro Victor DeRenzi

Maestro Victor DeRenzi checks out the new expanded orchestra pit and the newly opened lobby atrium.

Railings - Video

Adams Brothers Cabinetry installs a new section of railing around the atrium.

Railings - Video

Carpenters from Adams Brothers Cabinetry build and install a new section of railing at the third floor of the atrium.

Skylight

A few views of the skylight on sunny days during construction this summer and fall.

Column Stripping - Video

The construction crew works on lifts in the atrium, doing the final preparation of the solid cypress columns for pickling. The pickling process will give the columns a light color, while leaving the graining of the wood exposed.

Atrium Scaffolding

Scaffolding is setup in the atrium to allow plaster work to be done.

Atrium Columns

Workers patch up the atrium columns to prepare them for pickling. This process will give the columns a light color and leave the wood graining exposed.

Paint Stripping

A member of the construction crew goes to work with a heat gun and scraper, to clean years of paint off the 1926 solid Cyprus columns around the atrium.

See a video of the work here.

Skylight

Two shots of the Atrium before the skylight went on by Willis A. Construction, inc., and one with the new skylight.

Atrium

The Lobby Atrium seen from the corner of the third floor McCorkle Lounge.

Atrium Scaffolding

Scaffolding setup in the atrium to facilitate plastering and painting.

Skylight Install, Part 5

Final adjustments are made on the positioning of the skylight.

The new skylight in place over the atrium!

See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 of the installation.

Completion of Paint Stripping

The crew finishes stripping paint from the beautiful wood atrium columns, which are original to the 1926 theater.

Paint Stripping - Video

See this earlier post, for photos of the crew at work.

A worker uses a heat gun to remove paint from the wood columns in the atrium.

Skylight Install, Part 2

The atrium, ready for the new skylight. See Part 1 of the installation.

Paint Stripping

The construction crew uses lifts to help them strip years of paint off the wood columns in the atrium.

Plaster Work - Video

One of the construction crew prepares an area of plaster in the lobby for repair.

Hoist

Some air conditioning duct being hoisted up the atrium to the attic.

Open Atrium

The main atrium with the skylight removed

Ray of Light

The sun peeks through a gap in the temporary cover on the atrium

New skylight frame

On June 19 a new frame was installed for the skylight. It is now wrapped with a blue tarp, giving the whole atrium a blue glow.

Renovation Recap #6: Opening up the atrium

In the three photos below, you can see the framework between the second and third floor being removed, the open atrium with a temporary cover where the skylight will be, and a final shot of the atrium open to the sky.

Renovation Recap #5: Skylight demolition

In April, the old skylight, which was installed after a hurricane in the late 1920's, was finally retired to make way for a new skylight which meets current building codes.

Renovation Recap #4: Chandelier removal

One of the main features of the Opera House pre-renovation was the chandelier in the lobby. Early on, it was taken down and put into storage to make way for the opening of the three story atrium. Have no fear though, it will be rehung in a new location in time for the reopening of the Opera House in March of 2008.