Grand Makeover
May 2, 2008 NOTHING BRINGS A THEATRE TO LIFE, LIKE THE RICH SOUNDS OF A SYMPHONY. IT'S BEEN 3 LONG YEARS FOR THE KINGSTON SYMPHONY TO COME HOME.... BUT MUSICIANS AND BUILDERS SAY IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT. THE REFURBISHED THEATRE WAS DESIGNED LOCALLY BY SHOALTS AND ZABACK ARCHITECTS, WITH HELP FROM A TORONTO COMPANY THAT WORKED ON THE FOUR SEASONS OPERA HOUSE IN TORONTO. THEIR JOB -- TO BRING A TIRED FACILITY INTO THE 21ST CENTURY. ANTRA ROZE "WE CAME INTO A BUILDING WITH NOT PARTICULARLY GOOD ACOUSTICS. THE CEILINGS WERE VERY LOW. THE PERFORMANCE EQUIPMENT WAS OUTDATED." GERRY SHOALTS I'VE DONE A LOT OF RENOVATION PROJECTS BUT I HAVE TO SAY THIS IS THE MOST CHALLENGING ONE TO DATE" ACOUSTIC IMPROVEMENTS PLAYED A STARRING ROLE IN THE GRAND'S 17 MILLION DOLLAR FACELIFT. THREE GIANT PANELS, LIKE THIS ONE, CAN BE RAISED TO THE CEILING DURING A SYMPHONY OR STAGE PERFORMANCE -- DEFLECTING THE SOUND BACK TO THE AUDIENCE. EXPOSING SOME OF THE ORIGINAL BRICKWORK IN THE MAIN AUDITORIUM, WITH THE INSTALLATION OF BOX SEATS ALONG THE WALLS, ALSO GIVE THE THEATRE A NOSTALGIC FEEL. SPEROS KANELLOS "IT TIED IN WITH THE HERITAGE OF THE THEATRE AND KINGSTON. THE ARCHITECTS DID A FABULOUS JOB TYING IN THE OLD WITH THE NEW." AND THERE'S A LOT OF HISTORY WITHIN THESE WALLS. IT OPENED AS MARTIN'S OPERA HOUSE IN 1879. THE ORIGINAL BUILDING BURNED DOWN IN 1898, AND WAS REBUILT A FEW YEARS LATER... PLAYING HOST TO RENOWNED ARTISTS OF THE DAY -- LIKE HARRY HOUDINI, AL JOLSON AND OSCAR WILDE. BRIAN MCCURDY "YOU CAN PROBABLY CHART THE HISTORY OF THE TOURING PERFORMING ARTS IN CANADA BY THE PERFORMERS WHO'VE BEEN HERE. QUITE A HISTORY. SOMETHING WE'LL EXPLORE. IT'S ONE OF THE OLDEST CONTINUOUSLY FUNCTIONING FACILITIES LIKE THIS IN THE COUNTY." IN THE LATE 1930S, THE GRAND WAS BOUGHT BY FAMOUS PLAYERS AND TURNED INTO A MOVIE THEATRE. MAYOR ROSEN: "I REMEMBER COMING HERE IN THE EARLY 50'S... SEEING MY FIRST HORROR PICTURE THAT STAYED WITH ME. IT WAS PREMATURE BURIAL." BY IN THE EARLY 60S, THE GRAND HAD A REPUTATION AS A RUNDOWN MOVIE HOUSE, IN DANGER OF BEING LEVELLED FOR PARKING.... UNTIL THE CITY STEPPED IN AND BOUGHT IT IN 1962. THERE HAVE BEEN RENOVATIONS OVER THE PAST 4 DECADES... BUT NONE QUITE AS ELABORATE OR COSTLY AS THIS ONE. WITH HELP FROM A DEDICATED FUNDRAISING TEAM, CO-CHAIRED BY WALTER FENLON AND FRED LAFLAMME THAT HAS RAISED ABOUT 4 MILLION IN DONATIONS -- ALONG WITH TAXPAYER SUPPORT AND GOVERNMENT GRANTS -- THE CITY'S CULTURAL JEWEL GOT THE POLISH IT NEEDED. ALONG WITH BETTER ACOUSTICS, THE 700 SEATS ARE NEWER AND WIDER... AND EVERY SEAT HAS A VIEW. SPEROS: "THERE ARE SOME COLUMNS IN THE BALCONY THAT OBSTRUCTED THE VIEW THAT HAVE BEEN REMOVED. ALL NEW MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS." THE LOBBY SPACE IS BIGGER, WITH A COMMUNITY MEETING ROOM ADDED... NEW CHANDELIERS, MAHOGANY TRIM THROUGHOUT.... WHILE THE REVAMPED BABY GRAND -- A THEATRE WITHIN A THEATRE -- CAN SEAT UP TO 100. IN THE MAIN AUDITORIUM, THE CEILING IS HIGHER, AND THE ORIGINAL WOODEN BEAMS HAVE BEEN EXPOSED AS DECORATIVE FIXTURES. THERE'S MORE ELBOW ROOM BACKSTAGE AS WELL... THE OLD FLY SYSTEM OF SANDBAGS TO RAISE AND LOWER THE PROPS IS REPLACED WITH MODERN WEIGHTS. AND ANOTHER NEW FEATURE -- THE FRONT OF THE STAGE CAN BE RAISED OR LOWERED. SPEROS "WE'RE STANDING ON THE ELEVATOR THAT'S AT THE FRONT OF STAGE. IT GIVES US MORE STAGE OR FLOOR AREA, OR GIVES US AN ORCHESTRA PIT." ... ALL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE THEATRE'S NEW MANAGER TO BOOK COMMUNITY AND TRAVELLING ACTS. MCCURDY "ABSOLUTELY. PERFORMERS WILL LOVE TO PERFORM HERE. WE'LL HAVE LATEST TECHNOLOGY SO THAT THEY KNOW THEY'LL HAVE EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO DO A GOOD PERFORMANCE" THE RENOVATIONS PRESERVE AND EXPOSE THE BUILDING'S HERITAGE NATURE... WHILE MEETING MODERN NEEDS OF THEATRE GOERS AND PERFORMERS. ALL THE EARLY TALK OF RENO VERSUS DEMO IS NOW RELEGATED TO THE RAFTERS OF HISTORY. MCCURDY "IT WAS ABSOLUTELY THE RIGHT CHOICE. HOW COULD YOU WALK AWAY FROM THE HISTORY OF THIS BUILDING? IT'S JUST SUCH AN AMAZING HISTORY TO BUILD IN, AND YOU COULDN'T HAVE A BETTER LOCATION." FENLON "I HAVE BEEN A SUPPORTER OF THE ARTS, AND GET PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND IT'S THE ARTS AND CULTURE THAT REALLY PUT SOME LIFE INTO THE CITY. IT'S REALLY WHY PEOPLE WANT TO LOCATE HERE.' ANTRA "I THINK FROM A PERFORMANCE POINT OF VIEW WE'VE GOT 50 YEARS, AT LEAST" SPEROS WE FEEL THAT IT WAS WORTH THE MONEY. THE BIG TEST WILL BE WHEN THE PUBLIC COMES IN AND SEES A PERFORMANCE.'
