The History of the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans, Lousiana By Emily Law Homeroom Teacher – Mrs. Swope

The Beginning The Saenger Theatre was designed by Emile Weil and built by Julian Saenger in 1924. It cost $2.5 million to build. That was a lot of money in 1927! It had 4,000 seats and it took 3 years to build. The Saenger Theatre opened on February 4, 1927. The ticket price for the first show, a silent movie and stage play, was 65 cents. The Saenger Grand Orchestra also played.

1111 Canal Street, The French Quarter The inside of the theatre was of the Italian Renaissance period The inside of the theatre was said to have “an acre of seats in a garden of Florentine splendor”.  The arcade (arches) of the Saenger

The Blue Dome The Theatre was built with a blue-domed sky including twinkling lights so it felt like you were sitting outside under the stars. There are 150 lights in the ceiling made to look like constellations.

Historic Landmark The Theatre was sold in 1929 for $10 million. In 1964, the Theatre was sold again and was made into two smaller theatres. The upstairs theatre was known as the Saenger Orleans. On September 29, 1977, the Theatre became a historic landmark. In 1978, the Theatre was sold again and renovated. When it re-opened in 1980, it could only seat 2,736 people.

Hurricane Katrina, 2005 The Saenger Theatre suffered massive water damage due to the rising flood waters in New Orleans. Water filled the basement and orchestra pit. The photos below show the Theatre during renovation.

Another Renovation In 2009, the Theatre changed ownership again. One of the reasons for the change was to renovate the Theatre. The main focus was to return the Theatre to its original appearance. Paint was stripped to show the original colors, and photos were used to make the doors, light fixtures, and windows as close to the originals as possible. The renovation would also bring back the original floor plan and update some features such as replacing the lights in the ceiling with LED lights.

The Rebirth of the Saenger Theatre The grand re-opening of the Theatre was to be the fall of 2011. The marquee outside the Theatre was lit in October, 2009 in a ceremony representing the rebirth of the Theatre. It would be re-lit each night until the grand re-opening. The owners faced financial difficulty during renovation so the re-opening was postponed. The renovation cost $51 million. The grand re-opening of the Saenger Theatre was on September 27, 2013.

Performances Concerts, performances, and theater shows at the Saenger Theatre from its first opening in 1927 to present day include: Silent Movies Talking pictures Comedian Johnny Carson The band Styx Comedian Jerry Seinfeld Broadway’s Sister Act Disney’s Lion King

References www.saengernola.com Wikipedia Photos from Saenger Theatre of New Orleans