Opera House - Ready to Go

The Opera House, in a final quiet moment before the Re-Opening performance.

Seat Install - Balcony

As carpet is put down, the seat installers follow right on their heels.

Seat Install - Video

The final sample seat produced by Irwin Seating.

The seat installation crew from Contract Solutions places all the arms for the seats first.

All the wood seat back are lined up in rows, ready for install.

Installers go up and down each row attaching seat backs.

As one crew works from the back of the theater, another moves from the front back.

Decorative Painters Transform the Theater

The organ lofts on the side of the theater with a coat of base paint awaiting the decorative painting team.

Work begins at creating the impression of travertine blocks on the theater wall.

Some base layers of color are put on the wall.

Two teams work across the wall darkening the faux stone.

Final details and touch ups on the columns under the organ loft openings.

The end result!

Painting Beams

Four lifts work in the theater at once, while the decorative painters begin the process of painting the ceiling of the theater to look like wood beams.

One painter works on the last corner of beams to be painted.

Theater Progress, November to February

Scaffolding goes up on the ground floor to allow the construction crew to plaster the underside of the balcony. The stage, poured at the top of November, will be ready for the Opening of Rigoletto in just 120 days.

Lifts work on stage while plastering continues both under and above the balcony.

drywall, plastering, and base painting are complete.

The theater takes on a warmer tone after many hours of work by the decorative painting crew.

A new coat of paint drys on the floor, while the Surtitle screen from Figaro Systems is prepared for installation on the stage.

Boxes of seats are moved into the theater.

Arms for all the seats are installed throughout the theater before the first seat is placed.

The seats are almost complete in the balcony and halfway done in the orchestra. Seat installation was completed just two weeks ahead of the grand opening on March 1, 2008!

See some earlier photos of the theater in progress:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Welding - Video

Welders work on the stage and the balcony to prepare the new control booth on stage, and the lighting rail on the front of the balcony.

Lifts in the Theater

Lifts are used in the theater, to plaster, paint, and do electrical work.

Shadows

Two construction workers ride a lift on the far side of the theater

Theater Progress, October 25 to November 6

The re-bar and concrete forms for the stage are laid.

The stage is poured, while work continues in the theater on air conditioning
under the balcony.

More lifts move into the theater to work on the ceilings and walls. The columns leftover from the front corners of the projection booth are prepared for removal from the center of the balcony.

see some earlier progress shots of the theater here:
Part 1
Part 2

Welding - Video

The construction crew works on the lighting rail on the front of the balcony.

Balcony

The decking of the balcony is laid, waiting for concrete to be poured.

Lifts

Painters and plasterers begin work on the ceiling and walls of the theater using lifts.

Theater Floor - Video

These photos show the theater floor being prepared for re-pouring. The new theater layout will meet current requirements of the American Disability Act, and provide better sight-lines for many seats in the house.

Orchestra Pit and Theater

An early view of the William E. Schmidt Opera Theater and the Alisa and Ernest Kretzmer Orchestra pit from the stage of the Opera House.

Ray of Light

Sunlight pours into the theater while equipment is being loaded into the attic through an access door in the roof.

Grading the Theater - Video

A load of dirt is dumped for the bobcat to smooth the theater floor.

Grading the Theater

Soil is brought in through the back of the theater by a backhoe and smoothed out by a green bobcat to make a level surface for the pouring of the theater floor.

Balcony Rebuild

The balcony before rebuilding began.

The first steel for the new seating is added at the back of the balcony.

All of the new steel in place.

A view of the white projection booth columns which will be removed in the next few months.

Digging

Here are a few photos of a backhoe in the theater.

Theater June 1 to August 28

As a continuation of the earlier post showing a sequence of photos of the theater demolition, here is an update showing the beginning of the orchestra pit construction.

Chemical Grouting

To solidify soil around and under walls and columns in the theater before the orchestra pit was dug out, specialized equipment was brought in to inject chemical grout.

Collar Installation

An important step in preparing to dig the orchestra pit was to make some modifications to the proscenium arch columns. In the photos below you can see the creation of a "collar" at the bottom of the column, which ties to chemically solidified soil below.

Stripped Balcony

Back on May 4, Major Gifts Officer Jennifer Berges came into the theater and took some fantastic shots of the balcony steel using her digital camera.

Renovation Recap #3: Theater March 19 to May 24

The theater from March 19 - May 24

March 19, 2007

March 21, 2007

March 27, 2007

April 17, 2007

April 24, 2007

May 24, 2007