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The wait is over.
About 2,400 patrons filed into The Zeiterion on Saturday for its sold-out reopening — with eyes wide open to take in every detail, every change, every amenity.
After an 18-month hiatus and a $37 million renovation, the theater officially launched its next chapter with “Big Night, Bright Lights! The Z’s Grand Reopening,” marking the first time the Z, the New Bedford Festival Theatre and the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra shared the stage.
“I am just filled with gratitude. It’s been a long time coming, and there are so many people to thank for getting us here,” said Rosemary Gill, president and CEO of The Zeiterion.
“We’ll be celebrating all year long, and we really hope people feel welcome here.”
On Jan. 16, a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially marked the return of the Z, drawing New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell, Congressman William Keating, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Sen. Mark Montigny, city councilors, as well as ushers, donors, and residents eager to see it.
Nicole Merusi, vice president of strategic advancement at the Z, said during a tour shortly before the reopening that years of dreaming, planning and learning had finally paid off. “This is a dream come true. A vision come to life.”
More than 100 volunteers serve as ushers at the Z, including Theresa “Penny” Santos, who at 91 couldn’t wait for the theater to reopen its doors so she could return to the job she has no intention of retiring from.
“I was assigned to the House today, so I was able to see so many people I’ve made friends with over the years,” said Santos, wearing shiny Z pins on her uniform and a pearl-buttoned shirt. “It was beautiful.”
As patrons stepped inside the historic lobby, they oriented themselves instinctively, but a turn to the left revealed a surprise: an entirely new lobby area with a dedicated concession bar, one of three now in the building. The illuminated bar counter, finished in white Chevron tile, is set before an elegant cobalt-blue wall. There, patrons sipped cocktails and waited for the show to begin.
Among them was Catherine Medeiros, holding a glass of cabernet sauvignon as she sat at one of the tables near the new concession bar. She came from Bristol after reading about the reopening online. “I’ve never been here before,” she said. “It’s very nice. Everyone is very friendly and accommodating. It’s a beautiful building. I haven’t explored the upstairs yet.”
On the wall of the lobby, just above the old box office, a newly installed plaque honors Sarah R. Delano, whose leadership of the Waterfront Historic Area League (WHALE) helped save the Zeiterion from demolition in the 1980s.
“Her name belongs here, where no one should ever forget Sarah Delano,” said John Bullard, standing beneath the plaque. He worked with Delano at WHALE and later became mayor of New Bedford.
“When you’ve saved a bunch of buildings, you learn that you have to win the battle every day. You only get to lose it once,” said Bullard. “This is 100 years of winning that battle, so everyone needs to support the Z. Don’t take it for granted. Take it for a ride.”
A long-awaited improvement is immediately clear: no more restroom lines. The men’s bathroom is no longer downstairs; and the women’s bathroom, lit by dressing room–style lights at the mirrors, has 12 new stalls that now keep traffic moving.
Thelma Baxter, a volunteer usher at the Z, stood by the women’s restroom. “I keep receiving amazing feedback,” she said. “People are excited about the stalls. I’m telling people, ‘Just go in and look,’ and they can’t believe it.”
Fairhaven resident Melanie Edwards walked in to admire the bathroom and the new lights. “There used to be a huge line outside before,” she said. “Now it is beautiful, very modern and very open.”
Another long-needed addition is the elevator, now serving all four floors and making the building easier to navigate for patrons and staff.
But the auditorium is the real star of the show. The duct-taped chairs and slashed wall coverings are gone, replaced by red velvet-like seats, rich paint and a bright, restored ceiling that surrounds the refreshed 2,000-pound, century-old chandelier. Near the new wheelchair ramp, the last rows can be removed to make room for accessible seating.
Michelle Almeida sat in the last row with her mother, Doris DeBarros, 93, who uses a wheelchair. She used to sit in the middle rows, but navigating the space was difficult, and the view from the back has now improved as well. “Now I can see everything!” DeBarros said.
“Having accessibility now is good,” Almeida said. “She can stretch her legs out. She couldn’t do that with the regular seats.”
For Philip Lima, the reopening is personal. Operatic vocalist and New Bedford native, Lima grew up attending performances at the Z before it was known as the Z. “I would go watch movies when it was the State Theatre,” he said. For the reopening, he took the stage to perform three African American spirituals.
With New Bedford’s history as a major player in the abolition movement, being able to sing those songs whose roots are in the slave experience feels especially meaningful, he said. “It’s a real honor to be able to sing them this weekend in this place.”
Lima hopes the audience won’t just feel something from his performance, but will also come away understanding that the Z, the New Bedford Festival Theatre and the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra exist to serve the community.
“This is not only a place for the whole community to come and celebrate, but that it’s a base from which activity goes out to them.”
Backstage, another performer prepared to bring a message on stage.
Hendrick Hernandez-Resto, a New Bedford rapper who writes, produces and mixes his own hip-hop music, is the first rapper to collaborate in this way with both the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra and The Zeiterion.
“I feel art is the mighty unifier of our time,” he said ahead of his performance. His original spoken-word piece, “Welcome Home,” weaves together the city’s history, art, culture and love, welcoming the audience not only back to the theater, but into what he described as a new era for New Bedford.
The union of orchestral music and hip-hop was a natural connection, he said. “Hip-hop is just as prestigious and honorable as orchestral music. There’s not much difference between Beethoven and Dr. Dre.”
He has been a rapper for 25 years, and performing on the same stage he visited as a child to watch shows is priceless. “Simply put,” he said, “it’s a barrier broken.”
And just like that, a familiar sensation returned to the auditorium. The lights dimmed, the chatter faded, the conductor stepped to the music stand and, with a gentle sweep through the air, the show began.
The Z is back.
Email Eleonora Bianchi at ebianchi@newbedfordlight.org.
Opening show was so good!!