Saenger Theatre is an

atmospheric theatre An atmospheric theatre is a type of movie palace design which was popular in the late 1920s. Atmospheric theatres were designed and decorated to evoke the feeling of a particular time and place for patrons, through the use of projectors, archit ...

downtown New Orleans In New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, downtown has historically referred to neighborhoods along the Mississippi River, downriver (roughly northeast) from Canal Street – including the French Quarter, Tremé, Faubourg Marigny, Bywater, t ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, which is on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. Once the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

of Julian and Abe Saenger's theatre empire, today it is one of only a handful of Saenger

movie palace A movie palace (or picture palace in the United Kingdom) is any of the large, elaborately decorated movie theaters built between the 1910s and the 1940s. The late 1920s saw the peak of the movie palace, with hundreds opening every year between 192 ...

s that remain.

History

Early decades

The Saenger Theatre opened on February 4, 1927. The 4,000-seat theatre took three years to build and cost $2.5 million. Its opening prompted thousands to parade along Canal Street. The top ticket price was 65 cents, and the bill for each performance included a silent movie and stage play (produced by the

Paramount-Publix Corporation Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

), and music from the Saenger Grand Orchestra. Architect

Emile Weil Emile Weil (January 20, 1878 – January 19, 1945) was a noted architect of New Orleans, Louisiana. He studied with New Orleans artist William Woodward. A number of his works are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Works i ...

designed the interior of an

to recall an Italian

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

courtyard. Weil installed 150 lights in the ceiling of the theatre, arranged in the shape of

constellation A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms Asterism (astronomy), a perceived pattern or outline, typically representing an animal, mythological subject, or inanimate object. The origins of the e ...

s of the night sky. The theatre also employed

special effect Special effects (often abbreviated as SFX, F/X or simply FX) are illusions or visual tricks used in the theatre, film, television, video game, amusement park and simulator industries to simulate the imagined events in a story or virtual wor ...

s machines to project images of moving clouds, sunrises, and sunsets across the theatre's interior. In 1929, Julian Saenger sold the theatre for $10 million to Paramount Publix, which continued to operate the theatre successfully throughout the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. In 1933 Paramount Publix converted the theatre to "talking pictures" only.

A neglected landmark

In 1964, ABC Interstate Theatres turned the Saenger into a piggyback theatre, building a wall in front of the balcony to divide the larger space into two smaller theatres. The upstairs theatre was known as the Saenger Orleans. On September 29, 1977 the theatre was designated a

historic landmark A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been rec ...

by the New Orleans Landmark Commission. That December it was added to the

First renovation and return to prominence

In 1978, it was sold for slightly more than $1 million to E.B. Breazeale, who then spent an additional $3 million (with co-investors

Zev Buffman Zev Buffman (born Ze'ev Bufman) (October 11, 1930 – April 1, 2020) was a Broadway theatre, Broadway producer who served as president and CEO of Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, Florida. He produced more than 40 Broadway shows. He partnered wit ...

and

Barry Mendelson Barry Mendelson (born February 5, 1943) is an American television producer and CEO of Mendelson Entertainment Group LLC. Early life Mendelson was born in Rochester, New York to Arthur and Eva Mendelson. He graduated from Penfield High School, ...

) renovating it into a performing arts center. Pace Management also invested in the renovation and was hired to run the theatre. The Saenger Theatre reopened in 1980 with a reduced

seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...

of 2,736.

Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known as the host of ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson received six Pr ...

made a gala performance at the theatre's grand reopening. The Saenger hosted a variety of events, including concerts in many musical styles, theater shows, and presentations harkening back to the theatre's earlier history such as a showing of

Abel Gance Abel Gance (; born Abel Eugène Alexandre Péréthon; 25 October 188910 November 1981) was a French film director and producer, writer and actor. A pioneer in the theory and practice of montage, he is best known for three major silent films: ''J ...

Polyvision Polyvision was the name given by the French film critic Émile Vuillermoz to a specialized widescreen film format devised exclusively for the filming and projection of Abel Gance's 1927 film ''Napoleon''. Polyvision involved the simultaneous ...

silent film spectacular

Napoléon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

accompanied by a live full orchestra. In April 1983,

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; grc, Στύξ ) is a river that forms the boundary between Earth (Gaia) and the Underworld. The rivers Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Styx all converge at the centre of the underworld on a great marsh, whic ...

recorded and filmed their performances on their Kilroy Was Here tour for their double live album and concert film Caught in the Act. Then, in 1985, the management team of the theatre formed the Saenger Theatre Partnership, Ltd., a joint venture with 50 partners, to purchase the theatre from Breazeale. In the summer of 2002, the Saenger Theatre continued its cinematic roots and showed three classic movies (''

Some Like It Hot ''Some Like It Hot'' is a 1959 American crime comedy film directed, produced and co-written by Billy Wilder. It stars Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, with George Raft, Pat O'Brien, Joe E. Brown, Joan Shawlee, Grace Lee Whitney and N ...

'', '' The Wizard of Oz'' and ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Win ...

'') in celebration of its 75th anniversary. The Summer Classic Movie Series became an annual event for the next 3 years.

Hurricane Katrina

When

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

hit New Orleans in 2005, the Saenger Theatre suffered significant

water damage Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a s ...

. The water line was approximately a foot above stage level, filling the basement and orchestra seating area. Fortunately it was in the middle of a major renovation, so all carpeting and seating had been removed in anticipation of being replaced. The vintage Robert Morton Wonder Organ at stage level suffered some damage. The administrative offices of the theatre and the

box office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicke ...

on Rampart Street suffered extensive water damage. Photos taken immediately after Katrina often portrayed the Canal Street marquee as damaged, but staff had in fact removed the

acrylic glass Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) belongs to a group of materials called engineering plastics. It is a transparent thermoplastic. PMMA is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and brands Crylux, Plexiglas, Acrylite, ...

and other materials that could become flying debris during the storm.

Planned second renovation

In early 2009 it was announced by New Orleans officials that ownership of the Saenger Theatre would be turned over to the Canal Street Development Corp., a city agency, who would lease the building to the Saenger Theatre Partnership, Ltd. for 52 years. A stipulation of the deal requires the Saenger Theatre Partnership to host a minimum of 80 shows and sell 100,000 tickets each year. The unique alliance secured $15 million in federal grants, state and federal tax credits, and private financing as part of a $38.8 million restoration. A main focus of the restoration is to return the Saenger to its original state. Work will include stripping paint to reveal the building's original color scheme, along with using historic photographs to match hardware such as doors, light fixtures, and windows as closely as possible. The escalator in the arcade will be removed, the main entrances will be recessed to reflect the original floor plan, and marquees matching the originals will be installed. Renovations will also include updates, such as incorporating the adjacent 1101 Canal Street building to use as a restaurant, restrooms, and box offices; expanding the stage by 40%; installing central air conditioning; and replacing the ceiling's trademark constellation with LED lights. All work, including modern updates, will adhere to strict preservation guidelines set by various entities including the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

. The marquee was ceremoniously re-lit in October 2009 to signify the Saenger Theatre's rebirth. The marquee will be lit every night until the theatre reopens in the fall of 2011. In the first months of 2010 restoration work was begun on the theater. In addition a website was launched and the broadway tour producers

Broadway Across America Broadway Across America (BAA) is a presenter and producer of live theatrical events in the United States and Canada since 1982. It is currently owned by the John Gore Organization (formerly Key Brand Entertainment), which purchased it from Live N ...

announced that ''

The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance, it ...

'' will play at the Saenger during the 2011-2012 season. The full schedule has yet to be released. NOLA.com announced that construction on the theatre would begin in July 2010. However, in March 2011 it was announced that construction had not started, and the Saenger would not be ready until at least the 2012-2013 Broadway season. In December 2011 New Orleans officials announced final financial hurdles had been cleared and construction would begin in earnest on the $51 million renovation in January 2012. In June 2013, the Saenger Theatre announced it would be opening September 27 with three performances from comedian Jerry Seinfeld; one on September 27 and two on September 28. The opening gala would be held October 3–6. The

National Trust for Historic Preservation The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...

cited the site as one of ten historic sites saved in 2013.

Organ

The Saenger Theatre features an approximately 2000-pipe Robert Morton

theatre organ A theatre organ (also known as a theater organ, or, especially in the United Kingdom, a cinema organ) is a type of pipe organ developed to accompany silent films, from the 1900s to the 1920s. Theatre organs have horseshoe-shaped arrangements o ...

, installed at the theater's opening. One of the largest instruments ever built by the Robert Morton Organ Company of Van Nuys, California, it was the prototype for the company's "Wonder Morton" line. The organ has a four manual console and 26 ranks of pipes. Nine ranks extend to the 16' pitch. It was designed specifically for the acoustics of the Saenger, and is one of the few Robert-Morton organs in the United States still in the location of its original installation. According to theater historian Ben M. Hall, the famed theater organist

Jesse Crawford Jesse Crawford (December 2, 1895 – May 28, 1962) was an American pianist and organist. He was well known in the 1920s as a theatre organist for silent films and as a popular recording artist. In the 1930s, he switched to the Hammond organ and b ...

said the Saenger's Morton was the finest instrument he had ever played.http://saengeramusements.com/theatres/nawlins/saenger/organ/nosabhl.jpg

References

External links

Official Site

History of Saenger Theatres
* Sarnoff, Nancy.

" ''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...

''. October 27, 2010. {{Authority control Cinemas and movie theaters in Louisiana Concert halls in Louisiana Music venues in Louisiana Performing arts centers in Louisiana Theatres completed in 1927 Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana Theatres in New Orleans Emile Weil buildings Movie palaces Saenger theatres National Register of Historic Places in New Orleans Public venues with a theatre organ