Exciting news coming out of the Orpheum Theater, which is reaching the halfway point of its multi-million dollar restoration — the theater will officially be opening in the fall of this year. A special reception will kick things off in August and the 96 year old venue already has a show planned for September. The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra is scheduled to play September 17th. Purchased just last year by Tipitina's owners Roland and Mary von Kurnatowski and their business partner Dr. Eric George, the theater hasn't been opened since Katrina but enjoyed a long, illustrious history as vaudeville and movie theatre as well as live music venue.
Orchestras love the Orpheum for its acoustics and it was the New Orleans Symphony who saved the theater from demolition around the time that it was being added to the Register of Historic Places in 1982. The LPO took over shortly after. The theater's basement and part of its orchestra level was severely flooded from Hurricane Katrina. The building was purchased shortly after by Richard Weyand and Peter Thiessen for a mere $675K. The duo were nearly charged with demolition by neglect for their lack of maintenance in 2009, the same year that the Orpheum Theater hit the Louisiana Landmark Society's New Orleans Nine list of endangered structures.
· LPO sets 2015-16 season opener at restored Orpheum Theater in New Orleans, Sept. 17 [NOLA.com]
· Orpheum theater restoration reaches halfway point [WWL]
· Orpheum Theater website
· All Orpheum Theater coverage [Curbed NOLA]
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