|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
One of New Bedford’s most historic cultural landmarks is reopening its doors to the public this weekend, emerging from a transformative restoration that took 18 months to complete.
The Zeiterion’s $37 million renovation is finally finished. Crews gutted the inside of the century-old theater, scraping off decades of paint, knocking down walls, and ripping up floors to reshape the earth below the auditorium. Skilled craftspeople meticulously recreated the 1920s details that had deteriorated or been covered up over the years, hand-carving plaster and applying new layers of gold leaf.
More from this series:
◉ Follow us @newbedfordlight on social media with the hashtag #zeiterionreopens for live coverage of the Jan. 17 grand re-opening.
Some entirely new spaces were built in addition to the historic restoration work — the building now has a speakeasy, more lobby space, and a rehearsal studio. Modern upgrades include 1,200 new seats and expanded, accessible bathrooms.
The final product is a mix of new and old, designed to provide a better experience for theatergoers and expand the nonprofit’s mission while honoring the building’s history.
“To see the finishes and the details come to life has been really fun,” said Zeiterion CEO Rosemary Gill.
The festivities kicked off with a ribbon cutting on Friday and will continue with grand reopening shows at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Gill and Vice President of Strategic Advancement Nicole Merusi toured the building with a reporter last week as crews worked on the final touches of the restoration project.
The new Zeiterion experience begins before you enter the building — a new, 1920s-style marquee in copper and cast iron with lights and digital screens now hangs over the main Purchase Street entrance. The building hasn’t had a real marquee since the 1950s, Merusi said.
Expanded windows on the first floor “really bring the corner to life,” she said.
The northwest door at Purchase and Spring streets opens into the Baker Family Lobby, a sweeping entryway with a large central bar and seating. Gill and Merusi said they hope the larger space will invite people to come earlier and congregate before shows.
The box office was relocated to the southwest corner, with a new entrance on Purchase Street, and it was expanded to include three ticket windows — a “really big improvement,” Merusi said. It’s now named after Armand Marchand and George Charbonneau, the cofounders of New Bedford Festival Theatre. Light columnist Jack Spillane wrote about Marchand’s passing at 82 in July.
The old theater layout didn’t have a dedicated spot for merchandise sales, but there’s now an alcove between the box office and auditorium where artists can sell their T-shirts and posters.
The restroom upgrades are a “game-changer,” Gill said. “It was a real pain point.”
The main floor now has expanded restrooms for men and women, so men no longer have to descend a steep staircase to the basement and women will now experience shorter lines. Single-stall, gender-neutral restrooms are available on upper floors.
A new life for the old theater
The auditorium went through a painstakingly detailed restoration process.
“Everything has been touched in here,” Merusi said as she entered the space.
The floor was dug up with excavators to give it a more forgiving pitch, then a new floor was laid. Tapestries were removed from the walls to be replaced with acoustic-enhancing panels. The chandeliers were removed for deep cleaning.
Scaffolding filled the auditorium so workers could reach the ceiling, a major focus of the restoration.
Professionals peeled back layers of paint and studied the original colors from the 1920s to match them. The main ceiling dome was refinished in gold leaf, an improvement from the original aluminum leaf that had been painted gold.
“It’s just so warm in here now,” Merusi said. “It’s regal almost.”
The ceiling mural at the front of the house was recreated with its original muted colors, replacing the bright colors introduced during a 1980s restoration. The gilded plaster muses that line the ceiling were repaired and repainted. A professional hand-carved individual rosettes out of plaster to replace damaged ones.
The room now has better stage lighting and sound equipment. The orchestra pit is wider, deeper, and has a hydraulic lift that can be set as high as stage level. A new removable apron at the front of the stage is larger than the previous one.
You’ll take it all in from new red velvety seats. They were arranged in a new layout for better visibility, and a couple dozen are movable for various stage configurations at the front of the house. The side panels are cast aluminum with a custom “Z” cartouche.
The Zeiterion is fundraising by selling seat plaques with donors’ names at $1,000 apiece. Nearly 300 have been sold and the fundraiser will continue until each of the more than 1,200 seats are named, Merusi said.
New spaces
In the basement, there’s a new “speakeasy” that seats up to 65 people. This “dark and moody” room has its own bar and a small stage for more intimate performances and event rentals, like birthday parties. Two public events here are already sold out — a roaring ‘20s night and a Mardis Gras night.
Gill led the way back upstairs, passing through the lobby and taking the marble grand staircase to the new Bristol County Savings Bank Lounge on the second floor. There’s another bar here and room for various seating configurations. This is another space that can be rented for various events, such as a lunch meeting or reception.
The physical changes make way for new uses. Gill and Merusi said they want the building to be active day and night throughout the week, not just when there’s a big mainstage show.
“Ths is sort of a new business unit for us,” Merusi said.
Almost any space can be rented individually, or the whole building could be rented out for a large event, with individual rooms used for breakout sessions, Gill said. The Zeiterion has three rental rates for nonprofits, companies, and local members of a “community partnership” program still in development.
Gill and Merusi went up to the next floor in an extra-large new elevator that serves all four levels. For the first time, the building is now fully accessible, including the bathrooms. A ramp curves around the north side of the auditorium for easier wheelchair access and the house has a dozen wheelchair seating positions.
The third floor includes a movement studio for classes and rehearsals, complete with a mirror, ballet bar, and a shock-absorbing “sprung” floor for dancers. Like in the speakeasy, there aren’t any windows here, but a lighting panel gives the illusion of natural light through frosted glass. There’s also a classroom with a whiteboard on this floor.
‘Exponential’ impact
The Zeiterion has a $10 million annual economic impact for New Bedford, Merusi said. She expects that to increase to $12 million or $13 million after the reopening.
The impact isn’t only economic — Merusi said The Zeiterion sets New Bedford apart as an arts hub. The renovation, she hopes, will give people in the streaming era a good reason to engage with art together outside the home. It all fits into the new vision of The Zeiterion as a larger set of facilities that the broader community can now use, outside of mainstage shows.
“Now, we have this opportunity to not just watch the performing arts but to really experience it,” she said, gesturing to the stage as she stood at the edge of the orchestra pit. “That impact on New Bedford is exponential.”
Email Grace Ferguson at gferguson@newbedfordlight.org
More stories by Grace Ferguson
Keep The Light shining with your donation.
As an independent, nonprofit news outlet, we rely on reader support to help fund the kind of in-depth journalism that keeps the public informed and holds the powerful accountable. Thank you for your support.
An amazing renovation. The acoustics were wonderful. What a change. I heard the brass fully for the first time. NBSO is also such a great orchestra. The visual changes, the seats, the floor slope too, the lighting are so well done. The entire program was well done. Local as possible and really good. We are thrilled with the reno and hope it draws the residents right here as well as communities around New Bedford. Bravo.
The beautiful new “Z” is the crowning achievement of our city’s new investments. We are now the new “Go to” city on the East Coast! There is a lot to offer here! A beautiful , vibrant harbor, Great History, Great museums, First class restaurants, and. increasing investments in the arts, ,neighborhoods and our schools. We’re not on our way there, we have arrived!
See my written comment above. Please use it
Helen DeGroot do I have to write it here,? Let me know!