$18 Million Renovation Completed
By Jacqueline Trescott
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 2, 2008
People entering the Eisenhower Theater, reopening tonight after a 16-month renovation, will no longer be greeted by that screaming red interior (so yesterday) and instead step into a cool blue that softly says "today."
The blue in the smallest of the Kennedy Center's three main stages is a deep jewel tone, repeated in the carpet, seats and ceiling. It's the somewhat misleadingly named Benjamin Moore Gentleman's Gray, though it's really more deep blue, disappearing into the darkness when the lights are dimmed. Replacing the red fabric on the interior walls are ash wood panels, a glistening material that reflects the light off the frosted light fixtures.
The overall effect is blue and gold, with shades of gold captured throughout the theater, starting with the 24-karat gloss of the stage curtain and picked up in the stainless steel and bronze railings.
The 41,000-square-foot theater hadn't been modernized since its 1971 opening.
"We wanted to go lighter than the original. It felt cavernous and outdated," said Claudette Donlon, the center's executive vice president, standing in the new horizontal aisle, which crosses from side door to side door. "It was time for a facelift."
The $18 million transformation was past due in terms of decor and audio and video technology, but also because of the need to comply fully with the Americans With Disabilities Act and fire-and-safety standards.
The ADA revisions include 25 wheelchair-accessible spaces (there were previously four), located on all three levels.
The old seats "had bottomed out," in the words of project manager Barbara Gartley, and were replaced with new ones made of light-toned wood with patterned cushions and back supports. The renovation led to a gain of 21 seats; capacity is now 1,163.
Most of the theater was gutted, and the concrete floor was re-poured. The original stage was preserved, its curved front shaved straight to accommodate a new orchestra pit and pit lift, operated by a touch screen.
With this work completed, all the theaters at the center have been renovated in the past 11 years (and the Family Theater was installed in the original American Film Institute screening space) for a total cost of $68.3 million.
The first productions in the new Eisenhower Theater are "Broadway: Three Generations" and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet.
In its 37 years, the Eisenhower has been a main stage for theater and dance. It opened with "A Doll's House" with Claire Bloom and Ed Zimmerman. The record-breaking run of "Annie" started there. Before they went to Broadway, the Dustin Hoffman revival of "Death of a Salesman" and August Wilson's "Piano Lesson" were tested on the stage.
The renovation involved nine firms, including Quinn Evans Architects of Washington, theater designer Sachs Morgan Studio of New York, Gary Steffy Lighting Design of Ann Arbor, Mich., and Jaffe Holden Acoustics of Norwalk, Conn.
The new audio system, with a digital mixing system and computer-controlled amplifiers, was developed by Harman Pro Group. Sidney Harman of Harman International Industries and Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), active philanthropists in Washington, donated the system. The sound booth on the orchestra level is open, at the request of the engineers, Donlon said, so they could hear the sound without earphones.
Previously identified asbestos was removed, and safety features were added.
Backstage, the entire area for costume and dressing functions, covering an additional 5,500 square feet, was redone. A wardrobe area, laundry room and wig and hairstylists' room were added, an improvement over their previous makeshift hallway stations. And better signage was added so someone doesn't enter a dressing room by mistake.
Other amenities resulting from the makeover include two more women's restroom stalls on the box tier and balcony levels and two new unisex bathrooms on those levels.
A final comfort tip from the renovation tour: Eventually, when patrons are ordering tickets, the box office will be able to tell them whether the seat is 20 or 22 inches wide. (Seats of both widths are scattered throughout the hall.)
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