Historic Saenger Theatre restored to the limelight

Photo  credit: Ted Jackson, Times-Picayune

From a seat on the aisle, the Saenger's restoration a smash hit

The Times-Picayune By Theodore P. Mahne, NOLA.com 

The memories came flooding back, at times so thickly that you had to brush them away from your face. Turning from the Canal Street box office into the grand promenade of that gorgeous runway of a lobby of the Saenger Theatre was a breathtaking moment.

Broadway’s Kristin Chenoweth was the bright headliner of the night at Saturday’s official reopening concert, but no doubt, the shining star was the restored venue itself.

October has been a busy month for the theater. Preceding the Oct. 5 gala reopening, the Saenger has played host to several public and private events, showcasing the variety of bookings it will likely hold. The biggest test comes with the kickoff of the fall season of the Broadway in New Orleans series with the musical comedy, “The Book of Mormon.” It opens for a two-week run on Tuesday, Oct. 15.

Having been shuttered since the flooding following Hurricane Katrina eight years ago, a public and private consortium poured $52 million into the historic landmark’s restoration. So what were the results?

In a word: Magical.

Admittedly, the emotional resonance of the Saenger’s reopening will color any reaction or assessment of its qualities as a modern performance venue. A mood of personal nostalgia for the many dazzling and star-struck evenings spent in the Saenger in the years before Katrina is pervasive. And the sense of civic pride is palpable, in seeing this end of Canal Street flooded in the lights of bright marquees of both the Saenger and the Joy theater across the street.

The restoration managed to strike the right balance between giving the theater the modern amenities audiences expect, while maintaining its classical old feel. The attention to the decorative architectural details results in a stunning visual masterpiece.

The lobby’s flat-screen monitors, for example, provide both information and promote upcoming shows without harming the aesthetics of the grand old movie palace. Accessibility requirements appear to have been exceeded, both within the theater and the outer lobbies, although it’s a bit difficult to locate the elevator.

And yes, the ceiling still sparkles like the night sky, with its range of color from a rich cerulean blue to the deepest cobalt. Clouds still drift overhead amid the twinkling lights, inspiring a childlike sense of wonder and awe.

The interior of the auditorium, flanked by the terra-cotta colored villa and peopled with marble statues, is as gloriously rococo and grandly excessive as it ever was. The intricately carved proscenium and the lush red and gold stage curtain also add to the atmosphere establishing the mood of magic about to happen onstage.

Photo: Ted Jackson, Times-Picayune

Seating is comfortable and roomy enough. Sightlines to the stage are clear, even from the upper balcony. Seats on the farthest edges of the auditorium do lose a portion of the stage, however, and no one will ever call the Saenger an intimate space. From the top of the upper balcony, the stage still looks like it’s a city block away.

Acoustics have never been one of the theater’s strong suits, but that usually doesn’t matter for most of its presentations, which are all heavily amplified. It’s too early to determine how well the venue will handle a symphonic or operatic performance. At Saturday’s reopening concert, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra was set farther back on the stage than it would otherwise be, and the sound was boosted by microphones.

The multiple bars in the inner lobbies were fully staffed and efficiently run, while also being spread out enough to avoid too much congestion. I was particularly pleased to see that the old Patio Lounge, below ground level, remains a quiet little spot with a bar, as well as providing spacious restrooms on either side.

A perennial challenge to any large public venue is the number of restrooms. With a nearly full house on Saturday night, the capacity seemed sufficient. Occasional lines formed, but the number and balance between women’s and men’s rooms served the needs.

One would expect any number of glitches to occur as such a large operation gets into full gear. The house management deserves special accolades. From the box office to the ushers, and everyone else on the Saenger’s staff, service came with a smile and a shared sense of excitement. From my seat, the night was flawless.

Here’s to many more such splendid evenings and the new memories they’ll create.

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