Hurricane Katrina Damages LA/MS Theaters

posted by Patrick Crowley on September 2, 2005 at 5:51 am

NEW ORLEANS, LA — It appears that several theaters in Southeastern Louisiana and Mississippi were damaged during Hurricane Katrina.

PlayBill: Saenger Theatre, the New Orleans Home for Broadway Tours, Among Thousands of Buildings Impacted by Hurricane

A spokesperson for Clear Channel Entertainment, which programs legit tours at the Saenger — a palatial 2,800-seat house that was built for movies and stage shows in 1927 — told Playbill.com, “No one can get near the theatre — we have no idea how bad it is.”

Hattiesburg American: How our community and neighbors fared

At the historic Saenger Theater downtown, the wind had blown pieces of a traffic light through the lobby windows. Shattered glass covered the sidewalks outside.

The theater’s manager, Philip Tapia, and a production technician, Joshua Williams, came out about 7 a.m. to put up plywood to keep any more water from getting into the building if it rained before they could get the windows replaced.

Our hearts go out to everyone in New Orleans and other affected areas. If you haven’t made a donation, please consider doing so.

Donation websites:
Amazon.com: American Red Cross Hurricane Relief
American Red Cross — Donate!

Theaters in this post

Comments (7)

Patsy
Patsy on September 2, 2005 at 9:18 am

Patrick: Thank you very much for posting this N.O. theatre information and may we all find it in our hearts to donate whatever we can to help our fellow Americans along the Gulf Coast.

socal09
socal09 on September 7, 2005 at 5:30 pm

Not sure of the current state of the Saenger but a CNN report was done from a boat which floated past the boarded up JOY theater and its heavily flooded street.

Patsy
Patsy on September 7, 2005 at 5:53 pm

edward1: Thanks for this CNN report! I finally saw the famous Cafe Du Monde on CNN tonight, but still wonder about St. Charles Avenue and the victorian and antebellum homes in that area!?!

socal09
socal09 on September 8, 2005 at 8:17 pm

From today’s LATimes: “Along St. Charles Avenue, on the west side, the rusticated buildings of Tulane and Loyola universities and grand private houses have barely a scratch on them.”

Ron Newman
Ron Newman on September 9, 2005 at 2:59 am

A report on New Orleans theatres, including exterior flood photos of the Joy and the State Palace.

Patsy
Patsy on September 9, 2005 at 5:02 am

Ron: Thank you for the site you have provided us though my concern is with the lives that are being saved yet we do think of ‘our’ beautiful and historical theatres as well and what Katrina has done to them in New Orleans and the affected Gulf Coast.

Patsy
Patsy on September 9, 2005 at 5:09 am

edward1: Thanks for that LA Times quote! And, I for one, appreciate what other CT members are posting about the present theatre status in New Orleans and surrounding areas though saving lives and pets are of utmost importance.

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