Brian: it appears you are correct. My uncle invited me to breakfast, coincidentally, this past weekend. I asked him about the Portage. He doesn’t think it was a Rapp & Rapp. He says it doesn’t appear on any of the records or job lists that he has. I don’t know where I got the idea that it was designed by them, or why that notion hasn’t been contradicted in all these years I have held it.
Well: I think there have always been bad films. I mean, has the product been that bad lately? What about films like Crash, Cinderella Man, and the Smartest Guys in the Room. None of them were garbage. How are things any different now than in the 80’s when we had slasher movies everywhere and three and four sequels of Gremlins and the Karate Kid? I think there have always been a few winners amid a lot of mediocre product. The problem, as I see it, has two main factors. 1) movie prices have gotten REALLY high in my opinion. You have to think before you go to the movies. If you are taking a date that means something like $30 when all is said and done (parking, tickets, concessions). I could take a date to a high-end night club for just a few more dollars. 2) home theatre systems and televisions have gotten pretty sophisticated. I think most rank-and-file humans want to feel like they have their own. Nobody wants to take public transit, everybody wants their own car. The closer a home theatre can come to reproducing the cinema, the more I think the movie business is going to lose the rank-and-file.
On another note, I wonder if the movie business hasn’t undone itself by including tons of bonus features on every DVD. I personally feel, after watching the bonus material on every DVD I rent, like some of the magic of the movies has been lost. I have seen inside the black box, so to speak.
Also, technology is evolving at a rapid rate. Just as television hurt the movie business, so I suppose does the internet. And how many years will it be before there are virtual reality simulators all over the place? Hell, I just found out the other day that I can pay for my groceries with a fingerprint scan now.
I don’t think the movie business is going away. But I think it faces these challenges. There is certainly change in the winds. There are a lot of exciting new ways to be entertained nowadays, just as the movie palaces were the exciting new way to be entertained back in the day.
Big, comfortable, clean cinema with good sound when I saw Die Hard here. I guess that would’ve been late 80’s. Don’t know if all auditoriums were the same size. But the one I was in was as large as the bigger theatres at the original Old Orchard Theatre in Skokie.
I perceive the area around that mall as being pretty desolate. So maybe it’s not a surprise that the cinema failed. i’m not sure the mall itself is doing too well. Last time I drove by there, one or two years ago, I got the feeling like business wasn’t exactly booming.
As I understand it the mini-golf epdisode was in the 60’s. The story I heard is that by the time it reopened as an adult theatre the interior had been substantially altered. I also understand that it sat in this condition for some years (as the mini-golf thing never came to pass).
Again, I can see your point. I’m not sure why they had to tear the old one apart, unless it had structural issues. But I happened by there at night last week, and the neon was lit up. It was cool.
Seems like we have a lot of Loews Jersey customers here. I am a big fan (from afar) of the building and am curious about a few things:
1) What is the average crowd like for one of their presentations? I understand the balcony is closed. But have they ever filled up the main floor?
2) Several years ago I got the impression that they were accomplishing amazing feats with mostly volunteer labor (fixing the clock tower, fixing the marquee, tearing out the triplex walls, etc). But I get the impression that momentum has slowed. Am I wrong and are they still accomplishing projects like this on a regular basis, or have circumstances changed somehow?
3) What is the real threat posed by this political disagreement I have read about, and why did it come about? I was under the impression that the city supported the notion of reopening the Jersey.
4) What is the ultimate goal of the Jersey project? Is it strictly to be a venue for classic cinema, or are they planning on expanded their offerings to include other types of events at some point? Classic cinema is certainly cool. But there are movie palaces (like the Orpheum in Madison, WI) that are making it by putting together a creative and wide array of uses to offer the public.
Many thanks to anyone who takes a moment to consider these questions.
I have fond memories of Webster. I’m glad to see that it won’t be turned into a Best Buy. I don’t understand why they are dumping the City North. It is only a few years old, which means it should have stadium seating and all the amenities needed for success. It’s also relatively close to Webster. What presence will the combined company have on the North Side (aside from the Esquire Near North) after these cinemas close? Are they abandoning that market as unprofitable?
Some interesting links about a similar community-based theatre renovation. Perhaps there are some ideas or contacts here that you could use, Mr. Loster.
Pretty ridicuous situation. It could be argued that theatres which have decayed to the point of being dangerous (like Detroit’s United Artists) should probably be torn down. But nobody can argue about those that are in good repair and still have significant ticket sales. My guess is that it all comes down to someone paying someone else a lot of money. Such is usually the case.
The place is pretty far gone already. Large wall sections have disintegrated down to the metal skeleton. I understand that it is possible to restore a building in this state of repair (the Detroit Symphony Hall is the example that has been related to me). But it is going to run into the millions to get the theatre functional on a basic level. I’d love to be proven wrong. But I have doubts that this project is going to come to pass. It seems to be lost in that cycle of people with big ideas coming and going year after year, punctuated by the occasional act of fraud (see Uptown Theatre, Chicago).
You may recall that I am related to the Rapps. This information comes from my uncle, the family historian. I’ll double-check with him the next time we speak. Admittedly, it’s been a long time since we discussed the subject. I also recall seeing something in THSA documents when I did volunteer work for them years back (late 80’s). So you could always get in touch with them to verify. Those guys always know what they are talking about.
I will admit to having attended the Admiral once about four years back. I also can’t resist saying that the talent in there is GREAT (give me salacious prurience any day). The lobby looks original. The auditorium seems to have been gutted. It’s a vast, dark, open space with a T-shaped stage in the middle surrounded by many small tables. No sign of vintage decoration. It is a actually a respectable place: clean, well-maintained. I’m sure some would dispute that. I heard that the auditorium was gutted years ago when someone was planning on putting mini-golf into the building (before the adult format arrived). That came from a pretty reliable source, but I can’t 100% confirm it.
You know Paul, I admire you in a twisted sort of way. I really do. You never give up and are constantly aware of potential opportunities to paint yourself in a positive light. Never mind that one only has to scroll half way up the page to find people accusing you of thievery…the same way they have all over this site.
I think what you mean by “we own the lease” is that you couldn’t make it running the theatre, and therefore couldn’t make your lease payments. So you found a sublet…which, in answer to my question, means that you have nothing to do with the current success.
It does sound much better the way you said it though. Kind of like when you said you owned the Portage Theatre in Chicago.
I think Paul’s recollections above are of the Varsity. The Varsity was made up to look like an outdoor patio, with stars and such. I remember going there as a kid. The Valencia disappeared when I was something like three. So I don’t have first-hand memories. But I have been told it was not a courtyard-type place.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Flyers for an Aug. 27, 2005, play still hang in the glass casings lining the facade of the historic Orpheum Theater, marking the day that Hurricane Katrina’s approach in the Gulf of Mexico brought this city’s arts community to a standstill.
Like dozens of performances slated for that Saturday, two days before the storm made landfall, the stage play Let Go and Let God had to be cancelled just hours before curtain time when city officials ordered a mandatory evacuation as Katrina barrelled toward the Gulf Coast.
The storm took out all four of New Orleans' major performing arts theatres, severely flooding two of its oldest – the Orpheum and the Saenger – both listed on the national registry of historic places.
But in the five months since Katrina, renovations have been underway at the Saenger, but recovery at the Orpheum has been all but stagnant. And the future of the 85-year-old theatre, which for years has served as home to the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, is uncertain, said Jeff Montalbano, the theatre’s general manager.
Montalbano shook his head as he stood in the lobby that once gave way to an elegant performance hall with rich, burgundy-red carpeted aisles and ornate gold leafing on blue and white walls.
“I cried,” he said of when he first entered the theatre and saw the floodwater. He said it took more than three weeks to pump all the water out. “I thought we’d have some water damage, but nothing like this.”
Floodwater filled the theatre’s six-metre basement, wiping out all the electrical and mechanical equipment stored there, and water rose to more than a foot (0.3 metres) in the performance hall. The Orpheum’s original oak floors swelled and buckled and likely cannot be salvaged. The stage, which sat under water for weeks, will also have to be replaced, Montalbano said.
Walking on the dingy, now brownish-red carpet, he pointed out the paint flaking from the ceiling from weeks of moisture exposure and the hundreds of once-plush blue seats now almost entirely consumed by brownish-green mould.
Since the storm, only some cleanup has been done. And with no flood insurance, the owners aren’t sure how to pay the estimated $1.5 million to $2.5 million in damage, Montalbano said.
The owners, a group of private shareholders, bought the theatre in the late 1980s. Though they’re considering selling it, they’re committed to the city’s performing arts community and the LPO, the nation’s only full-time symphony owned and operated by its musicians, Montalbano said.
The city’s decreased population and uncertainty over how soon the economy will recover have made the idea of putting more money into the theatre a tough choice, he said. Roughly two-thirds of the city’s population is still living elsewhere.
More disheartening, Montalbano said, is that the Orpheum was gearing up for one of its best seasons in years. Tourist and convention business, which had taken a dive after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, was finally rebounding. Besides its regular LPO concerts, the Orpheum had just hosted 30 acts for a Black Entertainment Television comedy series and a concert by Grammy-nominated Vancouver native Michael Buble.
“It was going to be a good year,” he said.
E.P. Miller, director of operations for the Saenger, said the theatre had limited flood coverage with its wind and rain policy, and raising the theatre’s electrical and mechanical equipment to higher ground will be expensive.
The Saenger’s basement flooded, as did its antique organ, which was used to provide “surround sound” during the 1920s silent movie era, Miller said. “It’s going to be a major cost just to get that back up and able to be played,” he said.
The Saenger’s decorative marble statues survived but will need to be cleaned, and the grand chandelier – original to the castle of Versailles in France – was also in good shape, he said. Tapestries, furniture and decorative plaster will need to be restored or replaced.
Robert Lyall, director of the New Orleans Opera Association, said damage to the city’s other major theatres – the Municipal Auditorium and Mahalia Jackson theatre – wasn’t as severe, and he expects them to be operational within the year.
Many in the performing arts community agree that using the city’s university theatres is a good alternative in the interim.
“We need to go back to the basics, and give the arts community something on a smaller scale to get it going again,” Montalbano said.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Flyers for an Aug. 27, 2005, play still hang in the glass casings lining the facade of the historic Orpheum Theater, marking the day that Hurricane Katrina’s approach in the Gulf of Mexico brought this city’s arts community to a standstill.
Like dozens of performances slated for that Saturday, two days before the storm made landfall, the stage play Let Go and Let God had to be cancelled just hours before curtain time when city officials ordered a mandatory evacuation as Katrina barrelled toward the Gulf Coast.
The storm took out all four of New Orleans' major performing arts theatres, severely flooding two of its oldest – the Orpheum and the Saenger – both listed on the national registry of historic places.
But in the five months since Katrina, renovations have been underway at the Saenger, but recovery at the Orpheum has been all but stagnant. And the future of the 85-year-old theatre, which for years has served as home to the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, is uncertain, said Jeff Montalbano, the theatre’s general manager.
Montalbano shook his head as he stood in the lobby that once gave way to an elegant performance hall with rich, burgundy-red carpeted aisles and ornate gold leafing on blue and white walls.
“I cried,” he said of when he first entered the theatre and saw the floodwater. He said it took more than three weeks to pump all the water out. “I thought we’d have some water damage, but nothing like this.”
Floodwater filled the theatre’s six-metre basement, wiping out all the electrical and mechanical equipment stored there, and water rose to more than a foot (0.3 metres) in the performance hall. The Orpheum’s original oak floors swelled and buckled and likely cannot be salvaged. The stage, which sat under water for weeks, will also have to be replaced, Montalbano said.
Walking on the dingy, now brownish-red carpet, he pointed out the paint flaking from the ceiling from weeks of moisture exposure and the hundreds of once-plush blue seats now almost entirely consumed by brownish-green mould.
Since the storm, only some cleanup has been done. And with no flood insurance, the owners aren’t sure how to pay the estimated $1.5 million to $2.5 million in damage, Montalbano said.
The owners, a group of private shareholders, bought the theatre in the late 1980s. Though they’re considering selling it, they’re committed to the city’s performing arts community and the LPO, the nation’s only full-time symphony owned and operated by its musicians, Montalbano said.
The city’s decreased population and uncertainty over how soon the economy will recover have made the idea of putting more money into the theatre a tough choice, he said. Roughly two-thirds of the city’s population is still living elsewhere.
More disheartening, Montalbano said, is that the Orpheum was gearing up for one of its best seasons in years. Tourist and convention business, which had taken a dive after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, was finally rebounding. Besides its regular LPO concerts, the Orpheum had just hosted 30 acts for a Black Entertainment Television comedy series and a concert by Grammy-nominated Vancouver native Michael Buble.
“It was going to be a good year,” he said.
E.P. Miller, director of operations for the Saenger, said the theatre had limited flood coverage with its wind and rain policy, and raising the theatre’s electrical and mechanical equipment to higher ground will be expensive.
The Saenger’s basement flooded, as did its antique organ, which was used to provide “surround sound” during the 1920s silent movie era, Miller said. “It’s going to be a major cost just to get that back up and able to be played,” he said.
The Saenger’s decorative marble statues survived but will need to be cleaned, and the grand chandelier – original to the castle of Versailles in France – was also in good shape, he said. Tapestries, furniture and decorative plaster will need to be restored or replaced.
Robert Lyall, director of the New Orleans Opera Association, said damage to the city’s other major theatres – the Municipal Auditorium and Mahalia Jackson theatre – wasn’t as severe, and he expects them to be operational within the year.
Many in the performing arts community agree that using the city’s university theatres is a good alternative in the interim.
“We need to go back to the basics, and give the arts community something on a smaller scale to get it going again,” Montalbano said.
City’s Landmarks Recovering
From Associated Press
February, 26 2006
Here’s the status of some of New Orleans' landmarks six months after Hurricane Katrina’s Aug. 29 landfall:
Louisiana Superdome: Closed until September. The NFL’s Saints plan to play the 2006 season in the city after playing home games in San Antonio and Baton Rouge, La., in 2005.
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Ernest N. Morial Convention Center: Repairs of damage from the hurricane and its use as an evacuation center are expected to be finished in April. The center’s first post-hurricane event â€" a jewelry and gift trade show held in the city for 54 years â€" was staged this month.
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas: Remains closed, having lost most of its fish when generators failed. The Gulf and Caribbean exhibits are running again and have been restocked, but officials are still working to replace the rest of the aquarium’s collection. They hope to reopen this summer.
Jackson Square: One of the first places to get a thorough scrubbing and face-lift after Katrina, just before President Bush came in September to tell the nation the city would be rebuilt. The square is nearly what it was before Katrina: famous Cafe Du Monde is open, musicians ply the sidewalks, and tarot card readers and tour guides try to engage a shrunken pool of tourists.
Port of New Orleans: Shipping activity has reached pre-Katrina levels, but only the upriver portion â€" about 70% of the port’s facilities â€" is operational.
Fair Grounds Race Course: Closed to racing after heavy damage to its grandstands and clubhouse, it’s unknown when live racing will return. Track grounds will be used for this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in April and May.
New Orleans Museum of Art: Little damage to its building or its works of art, but damage to the overall city from hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused it to shut its doors for six months. The museum is scheduled to reopen this week. The museum’s outdoor sculpture garden, with footpaths meandering among more than 50 sculptures, reopened in December.
Theaters: Repairs are underway at the historic Saenger Theatre – New Orleans, which is expected to remain closed through 2006. Recovery at the 85-year-old Orpheum Theater in the Central Business District has stalled; it has $2.5 million in flood damage. Damage to the city’s other major theaters â€" the Municipal Auditorium and the Mahalia Jackson theater â€" wasn’t as severe. Those facilities are expected to be operational within the year.
Audubon Zoo: Sustained only minor damage, but lost significant revenue with an ensuing absence of tourists. For now, it’s open on weekends only. Zoo officials say they’re hoping to return to normal hours sometime in March.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport: Number of daily flights has dropped to 71 from 166 pre-Katrina. Another 20 flights are expected to begin by April 3.
City’s Landmarks Recovering
From Associated Press
February, 26 2006
Here’s the status of some of New Orleans' landmarks six months after Hurricane Katrina’s Aug. 29 landfall:
Louisiana Superdome: Closed until September. The NFL’s Saints plan to play the 2006 season in the city after playing home games in San Antonio and Baton Rouge, La., in 2005.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center: Repairs of damage from the hurricane and its use as an evacuation center are expected to be finished in April. The center’s first post-hurricane event â€" a jewelry and gift trade show held in the city for 54 years â€" was staged this month.
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas: Remains closed, having lost most of its fish when generators failed. The Gulf and Caribbean exhibits are running again and have been restocked, but officials are still working to replace the rest of the aquarium’s collection. They hope to reopen this summer.
Jackson Square: One of the first places to get a thorough scrubbing and face-lift after Katrina, just before President Bush came in September to tell the nation the city would be rebuilt. The square is nearly what it was before Katrina: famous Cafe Du Monde is open, musicians ply the sidewalks, and tarot card readers and tour guides try to engage a shrunken pool of tourists.
Port of New Orleans: Shipping activity has reached pre-Katrina levels, but only the upriver portion â€" about 70% of the port’s facilities â€" is operational.
Fair Grounds Race Course: Closed to racing after heavy damage to its grandstands and clubhouse, it’s unknown when live racing will return. Track grounds will be used for this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in April and May.
New Orleans Museum of Art: Little damage to its building or its works of art, but damage to the overall city from hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused it to shut its doors for six months. The museum is scheduled to reopen this week. The museum’s outdoor sculpture garden, with footpaths meandering among more than 50 sculptures, reopened in December.
Theaters: Repairs are underway at the historic Saenger Theatre – New Orleans, which is expected to remain closed through 2006. Recovery at the 85-year-old Orpheum Theater in the Central Business District has stalled; it has $2.5 million in flood damage. Damage to the city’s other major theaters â€" the Municipal Auditorium and the Mahalia Jackson theater â€" wasn’t as severe. Those facilities are expected to be operational within the year.
Audubon Zoo: Sustained only minor damage, but lost significant revenue with an ensuing absence of tourists. For now, it’s open on weekends only. Zoo officials say they’re hoping to return to normal hours sometime in March.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport: Number of daily flights has dropped to 71 from 166 pre-Katrina. Another 20 flights are expected to begin by April 3.
New Orleans' Orpheum Theater May Not Reopen
By Ben Mattison
14 Feb 2006
The Orpheum Theater, one of New Orleans' primary performing-arts venues and the home of the Louisiana Philharmonic, was badly damaged in Hurricane Katrina and shows no signs of reopening, the Associated Press reports.
According to the AP, the hall’s electrical and mechanical equipment, floor, and stage were damaged beyond repair by floodwaters. The owners, a group of private shareholders, did not have flood insurance.
Repairs are expected to cost up to $2.5 million.
General manager Jeff Montalbano told the AP that the owners are reluctantly considering selling the building. “This is such a hard thing,” he said. “Selling could hurt the symphony, and we want to protect the integrity of what this facility is here for.”
The LPO opens an abbreviated season next month at Tulane University. In the short term, the ensemble will also make use of performances spaces at Loyola University and the Pontchartrain Center, a convention center near Armstrong International Airport.
Robert Lyall, the director of New Orleans Opera, told the AP that the city’s Mahalia Jackson Theatre and Municipal Auditorium should reopen this year. The Saenger Theatre is badly damaged but is currently being renovated.
Brian: it appears you are correct. My uncle invited me to breakfast, coincidentally, this past weekend. I asked him about the Portage. He doesn’t think it was a Rapp & Rapp. He says it doesn’t appear on any of the records or job lists that he has. I don’t know where I got the idea that it was designed by them, or why that notion hasn’t been contradicted in all these years I have held it.
Well: I think there have always been bad films. I mean, has the product been that bad lately? What about films like Crash, Cinderella Man, and the Smartest Guys in the Room. None of them were garbage. How are things any different now than in the 80’s when we had slasher movies everywhere and three and four sequels of Gremlins and the Karate Kid? I think there have always been a few winners amid a lot of mediocre product. The problem, as I see it, has two main factors. 1) movie prices have gotten REALLY high in my opinion. You have to think before you go to the movies. If you are taking a date that means something like $30 when all is said and done (parking, tickets, concessions). I could take a date to a high-end night club for just a few more dollars. 2) home theatre systems and televisions have gotten pretty sophisticated. I think most rank-and-file humans want to feel like they have their own. Nobody wants to take public transit, everybody wants their own car. The closer a home theatre can come to reproducing the cinema, the more I think the movie business is going to lose the rank-and-file.
On another note, I wonder if the movie business hasn’t undone itself by including tons of bonus features on every DVD. I personally feel, after watching the bonus material on every DVD I rent, like some of the magic of the movies has been lost. I have seen inside the black box, so to speak.
Also, technology is evolving at a rapid rate. Just as television hurt the movie business, so I suppose does the internet. And how many years will it be before there are virtual reality simulators all over the place? Hell, I just found out the other day that I can pay for my groceries with a fingerprint scan now.
I don’t think the movie business is going away. But I think it faces these challenges. There is certainly change in the winds. There are a lot of exciting new ways to be entertained nowadays, just as the movie palaces were the exciting new way to be entertained back in the day.
My two cents (maybe five cents).
I worked in Elmwood Park for several years, and am pretty sure the site is an Auto Zone today (not vacant).
Big, comfortable, clean cinema with good sound when I saw Die Hard here. I guess that would’ve been late 80’s. Don’t know if all auditoriums were the same size. But the one I was in was as large as the bigger theatres at the original Old Orchard Theatre in Skokie.
I perceive the area around that mall as being pretty desolate. So maybe it’s not a surprise that the cinema failed. i’m not sure the mall itself is doing too well. Last time I drove by there, one or two years ago, I got the feeling like business wasn’t exactly booming.
As I understand it the mini-golf epdisode was in the 60’s. The story I heard is that by the time it reopened as an adult theatre the interior had been substantially altered. I also understand that it sat in this condition for some years (as the mini-golf thing never came to pass).
Again, I can see your point. I’m not sure why they had to tear the old one apart, unless it had structural issues. But I happened by there at night last week, and the neon was lit up. It was cool.
Seems like we have a lot of Loews Jersey customers here. I am a big fan (from afar) of the building and am curious about a few things:
1) What is the average crowd like for one of their presentations? I understand the balcony is closed. But have they ever filled up the main floor?
2) Several years ago I got the impression that they were accomplishing amazing feats with mostly volunteer labor (fixing the clock tower, fixing the marquee, tearing out the triplex walls, etc). But I get the impression that momentum has slowed. Am I wrong and are they still accomplishing projects like this on a regular basis, or have circumstances changed somehow?
3) What is the real threat posed by this political disagreement I have read about, and why did it come about? I was under the impression that the city supported the notion of reopening the Jersey.
4) What is the ultimate goal of the Jersey project? Is it strictly to be a venue for classic cinema, or are they planning on expanded their offerings to include other types of events at some point? Classic cinema is certainly cool. But there are movie palaces (like the Orpheum in Madison, WI) that are making it by putting together a creative and wide array of uses to offer the public.
Many thanks to anyone who takes a moment to consider these questions.
I have fond memories of Webster. I’m glad to see that it won’t be turned into a Best Buy. I don’t understand why they are dumping the City North. It is only a few years old, which means it should have stadium seating and all the amenities needed for success. It’s also relatively close to Webster. What presence will the combined company have on the North Side (aside from the Esquire Near North) after these cinemas close? Are they abandoning that market as unprofitable?
/theaters/681/
Unfortunate that the building was restored in the late 80’s and has been allowed to once again disintegrate. A strange turn of events to be sure.
Some interesting links about a similar community-based theatre renovation. Perhaps there are some ideas or contacts here that you could use, Mr. Loster.
View link
/theaters/2598/
http://cerritotheater.org/history/index.html
http://cerritotheater.org/about/index.html
http://cerritotheater.org/photos/construction.html
Pretty ridicuous situation. It could be argued that theatres which have decayed to the point of being dangerous (like Detroit’s United Artists) should probably be torn down. But nobody can argue about those that are in good repair and still have significant ticket sales. My guess is that it all comes down to someone paying someone else a lot of money. Such is usually the case.
The place is pretty far gone already. Large wall sections have disintegrated down to the metal skeleton. I understand that it is possible to restore a building in this state of repair (the Detroit Symphony Hall is the example that has been related to me). But it is going to run into the millions to get the theatre functional on a basic level. I’d love to be proven wrong. But I have doubts that this project is going to come to pass. It seems to be lost in that cycle of people with big ideas coming and going year after year, punctuated by the occasional act of fraud (see Uptown Theatre, Chicago).
You may recall that I am related to the Rapps. This information comes from my uncle, the family historian. I’ll double-check with him the next time we speak. Admittedly, it’s been a long time since we discussed the subject. I also recall seeing something in THSA documents when I did volunteer work for them years back (late 80’s). So you could always get in touch with them to verify. Those guys always know what they are talking about.
I will admit to having attended the Admiral once about four years back. I also can’t resist saying that the talent in there is GREAT (give me salacious prurience any day). The lobby looks original. The auditorium seems to have been gutted. It’s a vast, dark, open space with a T-shaped stage in the middle surrounded by many small tables. No sign of vintage decoration. It is a actually a respectable place: clean, well-maintained. I’m sure some would dispute that. I heard that the auditorium was gutted years ago when someone was planning on putting mini-golf into the building (before the adult format arrived). That came from a pretty reliable source, but I can’t 100% confirm it.
Brian: the Portage was designed by Rapp & Rapp.
Good luck to those struggling to save the Raymond Theatre. It appears to be a brutal battle.
I salute you.
Good lord. I can’t even read to the end of this thing…a nice piece of writing I would bet was crafted by Paul himself.
Still no news on the Zoe Theatre.
Patrick: doesn’t THIS violate your terms of use?!?
You know Paul, I admire you in a twisted sort of way. I really do. You never give up and are constantly aware of potential opportunities to paint yourself in a positive light. Never mind that one only has to scroll half way up the page to find people accusing you of thievery…the same way they have all over this site.
I think what you mean by “we own the lease” is that you couldn’t make it running the theatre, and therefore couldn’t make your lease payments. So you found a sublet…which, in answer to my question, means that you have nothing to do with the current success.
It does sound much better the way you said it though. Kind of like when you said you owned the Portage Theatre in Chicago.
I think Paul’s recollections above are of the Varsity. The Varsity was made up to look like an outdoor patio, with stars and such. I remember going there as a kid. The Valencia disappeared when I was something like three. So I don’t have first-hand memories. But I have been told it was not a courtyard-type place.
View link
Future of historic Orpheum Theater uncertain
By STACEY PLAISANCE
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Flyers for an Aug. 27, 2005, play still hang in the glass casings lining the facade of the historic Orpheum Theater, marking the day that Hurricane Katrina’s approach in the Gulf of Mexico brought this city’s arts community to a standstill.
Like dozens of performances slated for that Saturday, two days before the storm made landfall, the stage play Let Go and Let God had to be cancelled just hours before curtain time when city officials ordered a mandatory evacuation as Katrina barrelled toward the Gulf Coast.
The storm took out all four of New Orleans' major performing arts theatres, severely flooding two of its oldest – the Orpheum and the Saenger – both listed on the national registry of historic places.
But in the five months since Katrina, renovations have been underway at the Saenger, but recovery at the Orpheum has been all but stagnant. And the future of the 85-year-old theatre, which for years has served as home to the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, is uncertain, said Jeff Montalbano, the theatre’s general manager.
Montalbano shook his head as he stood in the lobby that once gave way to an elegant performance hall with rich, burgundy-red carpeted aisles and ornate gold leafing on blue and white walls.
“I cried,” he said of when he first entered the theatre and saw the floodwater. He said it took more than three weeks to pump all the water out. “I thought we’d have some water damage, but nothing like this.”
Floodwater filled the theatre’s six-metre basement, wiping out all the electrical and mechanical equipment stored there, and water rose to more than a foot (0.3 metres) in the performance hall. The Orpheum’s original oak floors swelled and buckled and likely cannot be salvaged. The stage, which sat under water for weeks, will also have to be replaced, Montalbano said.
Walking on the dingy, now brownish-red carpet, he pointed out the paint flaking from the ceiling from weeks of moisture exposure and the hundreds of once-plush blue seats now almost entirely consumed by brownish-green mould.
Since the storm, only some cleanup has been done. And with no flood insurance, the owners aren’t sure how to pay the estimated $1.5 million to $2.5 million in damage, Montalbano said.
The owners, a group of private shareholders, bought the theatre in the late 1980s. Though they’re considering selling it, they’re committed to the city’s performing arts community and the LPO, the nation’s only full-time symphony owned and operated by its musicians, Montalbano said.
The city’s decreased population and uncertainty over how soon the economy will recover have made the idea of putting more money into the theatre a tough choice, he said. Roughly two-thirds of the city’s population is still living elsewhere.
More disheartening, Montalbano said, is that the Orpheum was gearing up for one of its best seasons in years. Tourist and convention business, which had taken a dive after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, was finally rebounding. Besides its regular LPO concerts, the Orpheum had just hosted 30 acts for a Black Entertainment Television comedy series and a concert by Grammy-nominated Vancouver native Michael Buble.
“It was going to be a good year,” he said.
E.P. Miller, director of operations for the Saenger, said the theatre had limited flood coverage with its wind and rain policy, and raising the theatre’s electrical and mechanical equipment to higher ground will be expensive.
The Saenger’s basement flooded, as did its antique organ, which was used to provide “surround sound” during the 1920s silent movie era, Miller said. “It’s going to be a major cost just to get that back up and able to be played,” he said.
The Saenger’s decorative marble statues survived but will need to be cleaned, and the grand chandelier – original to the castle of Versailles in France – was also in good shape, he said. Tapestries, furniture and decorative plaster will need to be restored or replaced.
Robert Lyall, director of the New Orleans Opera Association, said damage to the city’s other major theatres – the Municipal Auditorium and Mahalia Jackson theatre – wasn’t as severe, and he expects them to be operational within the year.
Many in the performing arts community agree that using the city’s university theatres is a good alternative in the interim.
“We need to go back to the basics, and give the arts community something on a smaller scale to get it going again,” Montalbano said.
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Future of historic Orpheum Theater uncertain
By STACEY PLAISANCE
NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Flyers for an Aug. 27, 2005, play still hang in the glass casings lining the facade of the historic Orpheum Theater, marking the day that Hurricane Katrina’s approach in the Gulf of Mexico brought this city’s arts community to a standstill.
Like dozens of performances slated for that Saturday, two days before the storm made landfall, the stage play Let Go and Let God had to be cancelled just hours before curtain time when city officials ordered a mandatory evacuation as Katrina barrelled toward the Gulf Coast.
The storm took out all four of New Orleans' major performing arts theatres, severely flooding two of its oldest – the Orpheum and the Saenger – both listed on the national registry of historic places.
But in the five months since Katrina, renovations have been underway at the Saenger, but recovery at the Orpheum has been all but stagnant. And the future of the 85-year-old theatre, which for years has served as home to the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, is uncertain, said Jeff Montalbano, the theatre’s general manager.
Montalbano shook his head as he stood in the lobby that once gave way to an elegant performance hall with rich, burgundy-red carpeted aisles and ornate gold leafing on blue and white walls.
“I cried,” he said of when he first entered the theatre and saw the floodwater. He said it took more than three weeks to pump all the water out. “I thought we’d have some water damage, but nothing like this.”
Floodwater filled the theatre’s six-metre basement, wiping out all the electrical and mechanical equipment stored there, and water rose to more than a foot (0.3 metres) in the performance hall. The Orpheum’s original oak floors swelled and buckled and likely cannot be salvaged. The stage, which sat under water for weeks, will also have to be replaced, Montalbano said.
Walking on the dingy, now brownish-red carpet, he pointed out the paint flaking from the ceiling from weeks of moisture exposure and the hundreds of once-plush blue seats now almost entirely consumed by brownish-green mould.
Since the storm, only some cleanup has been done. And with no flood insurance, the owners aren’t sure how to pay the estimated $1.5 million to $2.5 million in damage, Montalbano said.
The owners, a group of private shareholders, bought the theatre in the late 1980s. Though they’re considering selling it, they’re committed to the city’s performing arts community and the LPO, the nation’s only full-time symphony owned and operated by its musicians, Montalbano said.
The city’s decreased population and uncertainty over how soon the economy will recover have made the idea of putting more money into the theatre a tough choice, he said. Roughly two-thirds of the city’s population is still living elsewhere.
More disheartening, Montalbano said, is that the Orpheum was gearing up for one of its best seasons in years. Tourist and convention business, which had taken a dive after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, was finally rebounding. Besides its regular LPO concerts, the Orpheum had just hosted 30 acts for a Black Entertainment Television comedy series and a concert by Grammy-nominated Vancouver native Michael Buble.
“It was going to be a good year,” he said.
E.P. Miller, director of operations for the Saenger, said the theatre had limited flood coverage with its wind and rain policy, and raising the theatre’s electrical and mechanical equipment to higher ground will be expensive.
The Saenger’s basement flooded, as did its antique organ, which was used to provide “surround sound” during the 1920s silent movie era, Miller said. “It’s going to be a major cost just to get that back up and able to be played,” he said.
The Saenger’s decorative marble statues survived but will need to be cleaned, and the grand chandelier – original to the castle of Versailles in France – was also in good shape, he said. Tapestries, furniture and decorative plaster will need to be restored or replaced.
Robert Lyall, director of the New Orleans Opera Association, said damage to the city’s other major theatres – the Municipal Auditorium and Mahalia Jackson theatre – wasn’t as severe, and he expects them to be operational within the year.
Many in the performing arts community agree that using the city’s university theatres is a good alternative in the interim.
“We need to go back to the basics, and give the arts community something on a smaller scale to get it going again,” Montalbano said.
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City’s Landmarks Recovering
From Associated Press
February, 26 2006
Here’s the status of some of New Orleans' landmarks six months after Hurricane Katrina’s Aug. 29 landfall:
Louisiana Superdome: Closed until September. The NFL’s Saints plan to play the 2006 season in the city after playing home games in San Antonio and Baton Rouge, La., in 2005.
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Ernest N. Morial Convention Center: Repairs of damage from the hurricane and its use as an evacuation center are expected to be finished in April. The center’s first post-hurricane event â€" a jewelry and gift trade show held in the city for 54 years â€" was staged this month.
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas: Remains closed, having lost most of its fish when generators failed. The Gulf and Caribbean exhibits are running again and have been restocked, but officials are still working to replace the rest of the aquarium’s collection. They hope to reopen this summer.
Jackson Square: One of the first places to get a thorough scrubbing and face-lift after Katrina, just before President Bush came in September to tell the nation the city would be rebuilt. The square is nearly what it was before Katrina: famous Cafe Du Monde is open, musicians ply the sidewalks, and tarot card readers and tour guides try to engage a shrunken pool of tourists.
Port of New Orleans: Shipping activity has reached pre-Katrina levels, but only the upriver portion â€" about 70% of the port’s facilities â€" is operational.
Fair Grounds Race Course: Closed to racing after heavy damage to its grandstands and clubhouse, it’s unknown when live racing will return. Track grounds will be used for this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in April and May.
New Orleans Museum of Art: Little damage to its building or its works of art, but damage to the overall city from hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused it to shut its doors for six months. The museum is scheduled to reopen this week. The museum’s outdoor sculpture garden, with footpaths meandering among more than 50 sculptures, reopened in December.
Theaters: Repairs are underway at the historic Saenger Theatre – New Orleans, which is expected to remain closed through 2006. Recovery at the 85-year-old Orpheum Theater in the Central Business District has stalled; it has $2.5 million in flood damage. Damage to the city’s other major theaters â€" the Municipal Auditorium and the Mahalia Jackson theater â€" wasn’t as severe. Those facilities are expected to be operational within the year.
Audubon Zoo: Sustained only minor damage, but lost significant revenue with an ensuing absence of tourists. For now, it’s open on weekends only. Zoo officials say they’re hoping to return to normal hours sometime in March.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport: Number of daily flights has dropped to 71 from 166 pre-Katrina. Another 20 flights are expected to begin by April 3.
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City’s Landmarks Recovering
From Associated Press
February, 26 2006
Here’s the status of some of New Orleans' landmarks six months after Hurricane Katrina’s Aug. 29 landfall:
Louisiana Superdome: Closed until September. The NFL’s Saints plan to play the 2006 season in the city after playing home games in San Antonio and Baton Rouge, La., in 2005.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center: Repairs of damage from the hurricane and its use as an evacuation center are expected to be finished in April. The center’s first post-hurricane event â€" a jewelry and gift trade show held in the city for 54 years â€" was staged this month.
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas: Remains closed, having lost most of its fish when generators failed. The Gulf and Caribbean exhibits are running again and have been restocked, but officials are still working to replace the rest of the aquarium’s collection. They hope to reopen this summer.
Jackson Square: One of the first places to get a thorough scrubbing and face-lift after Katrina, just before President Bush came in September to tell the nation the city would be rebuilt. The square is nearly what it was before Katrina: famous Cafe Du Monde is open, musicians ply the sidewalks, and tarot card readers and tour guides try to engage a shrunken pool of tourists.
Port of New Orleans: Shipping activity has reached pre-Katrina levels, but only the upriver portion â€" about 70% of the port’s facilities â€" is operational.
Fair Grounds Race Course: Closed to racing after heavy damage to its grandstands and clubhouse, it’s unknown when live racing will return. Track grounds will be used for this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in April and May.
New Orleans Museum of Art: Little damage to its building or its works of art, but damage to the overall city from hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused it to shut its doors for six months. The museum is scheduled to reopen this week. The museum’s outdoor sculpture garden, with footpaths meandering among more than 50 sculptures, reopened in December.
Theaters: Repairs are underway at the historic Saenger Theatre – New Orleans, which is expected to remain closed through 2006. Recovery at the 85-year-old Orpheum Theater in the Central Business District has stalled; it has $2.5 million in flood damage. Damage to the city’s other major theaters â€" the Municipal Auditorium and the Mahalia Jackson theater â€" wasn’t as severe. Those facilities are expected to be operational within the year.
Audubon Zoo: Sustained only minor damage, but lost significant revenue with an ensuing absence of tourists. For now, it’s open on weekends only. Zoo officials say they’re hoping to return to normal hours sometime in March.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport: Number of daily flights has dropped to 71 from 166 pre-Katrina. Another 20 flights are expected to begin by April 3.
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New Orleans' Orpheum Theater May Not Reopen
By Ben Mattison
14 Feb 2006
The Orpheum Theater, one of New Orleans' primary performing-arts venues and the home of the Louisiana Philharmonic, was badly damaged in Hurricane Katrina and shows no signs of reopening, the Associated Press reports.
According to the AP, the hall’s electrical and mechanical equipment, floor, and stage were damaged beyond repair by floodwaters. The owners, a group of private shareholders, did not have flood insurance.
Repairs are expected to cost up to $2.5 million.
General manager Jeff Montalbano told the AP that the owners are reluctantly considering selling the building. “This is such a hard thing,” he said. “Selling could hurt the symphony, and we want to protect the integrity of what this facility is here for.”
The LPO opens an abbreviated season next month at Tulane University. In the short term, the ensemble will also make use of performances spaces at Loyola University and the Pontchartrain Center, a convention center near Armstrong International Airport.
Robert Lyall, the director of New Orleans Opera, told the AP that the city’s Mahalia Jackson Theatre and Municipal Auditorium should reopen this year. The Saenger Theatre is badly damaged but is currently being renovated.