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The 2013-2014 Broadway season at New Orleans' restored Saenger Theatre will be announced today.
The iconic theatre on Canal Street hasn't hosted a Broadway show since prior to Hurricane Katrina.
The 85-year-old property suffered significant water damage following Katrina, and is undergoing a complete restoration to return the Saenger to its original grandeur.
In the words of the song from 'All That Jazz'..."everything old is new again."
David Anderson, President of ACE Theatrical Group, which is directing the whole renovation operation, says the venue...the theater itself, will be a star.
"The restoration, renovation and expansion is at every level, from front to back...and it's spectacular."
He says theatre-goers you may not recognize it from the days immediately preceding the storm, as much of the theatre's original look from the 1920s has been restored.
In fact, he says the looks of the theater may surprise some.
"It's significantly different from what people remember seeing back before Katrina," says Anderson. "It's spectacular, but it's different."
And, spectacular is what New Orleans deserves, says Anderson, for what it's costing.
"Nothing wonderful comes cheap. It has been an expensive project...it's a $52-million dollar total project budget."
And, he says the end result will sparkle, from the stars on the new larger stage to the familiar stars on the ceiling.
Anderson says the old Saenger couldn't host all of the shows it would have liked to, because of its stage limitations.
"Now, we've got the ability to do every kind of touring show that's playing in the country now, and will be for the foreseeable future. Everything is being brought up to state of the art for the modern entertainment technical needs."
And, the needs of the theatre-goers will be met as well, from new permanent bars in the entry hallway to restrooms on the ground level where they didn't exist in the past.
He says the project has an been an exhaustive, yet rewarding task..."to turn this tragedy that Katrina was for everybody, including for the theater, and bring it back bigger and better than it's ever been."
The iconic theatre on Canal Street hasn't hosted a Broadway show since prior to Hurricane Katrina.
The 85-year-old property suffered significant water damage following Katrina, and is undergoing a complete restoration to return the Saenger to its original grandeur.
In the words of the song from 'All That Jazz'..."everything old is new again."
David Anderson, President of ACE Theatrical Group, which is directing the whole renovation operation, says the venue...the theater itself, will be a star.
"The restoration, renovation and expansion is at every level, from front to back...and it's spectacular."
He says theatre-goers you may not recognize it from the days immediately preceding the storm, as much of the theatre's original look from the 1920s has been restored.
In fact, he says the looks of the theater may surprise some.
"It's significantly different from what people remember seeing back before Katrina," says Anderson. "It's spectacular, but it's different."
And, spectacular is what New Orleans deserves, says Anderson, for what it's costing.
"Nothing wonderful comes cheap. It has been an expensive project...it's a $52-million dollar total project budget."
And, he says the end result will sparkle, from the stars on the new larger stage to the familiar stars on the ceiling.
Anderson says the old Saenger couldn't host all of the shows it would have liked to, because of its stage limitations.
"Now, we've got the ability to do every kind of touring show that's playing in the country now, and will be for the foreseeable future. Everything is being brought up to state of the art for the modern entertainment technical needs."
And, the needs of the theatre-goers will be met as well, from new permanent bars in the entry hallway to restrooms on the ground level where they didn't exist in the past.
He says the project has an been an exhaustive, yet rewarding task..."to turn this tragedy that Katrina was for everybody, including for the theater, and bring it back bigger and better than it's ever been."
The 2013 - 2014 Broadway series will transfer this fall from the Mahalia Jackson Theater, which has been the home of Broadway in New Orleans since 2009.
