A “72-hour countdown” began for the new College Street Music Hall — with a certificate of occupancy still waiting in the under-construction wings.
City officials declared that countdown at a press viewing Tuesday afternoon of the renovated — or still being renovated — former Roger Sherman Theater.
That theater is scheduled to be reborn as the Music Hall in town for Friday night’s opening show, featuring the Pink Floyd tribute band The Machine, and Saturday night’s Americana double bill featuring Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt.
The hall, which opened in the 1920s, has been shut for the past 12 years in the heart of the downtown entertainment district. (Click here and here for previous coverage of the theater’s revival.)
Tuesday’s tour revealed a work still in progress. Work crews scurried about painting (that’s Anthony Wade scraping a wall near the stage), hammering, and installing fixtures.
Mayor Toni Harp kept a composed face as she surveyed the surroundings. “It’s going to be more … rustic that we thought,” she observed.
Workers paused on the unfinished upstairs (pictured) to listen to a press conference in the evolving front lobby. You could hear the near-panic in city Economic Development Administrator Matthew Nemerson’s voice as he announced Friday night’s imminent reopening. You could also see a proverbial buck being passed, just in case all didn’t turn out as scheduled.
“We would not be calm,” Nemerson said, “if we didn’t have confidence in Keith and his team.”
Nemerson said building officials will tour the theater Thursday night. He said the city anticipates that enough work will be completed by then so officials can grant the theater a certificate of occupancy, required for the show to go on.
Meanwhile, “Keith” — Keith Mahler (pictured listening to Nemerson), the veteran concert promoter whose Premier Concerts firm is overseeing the theater’s rebirth on behalf of the building’s owner, the not-for-profit New Haven Center For Performing Arts — displayed not a hint of doubt.
“We will be open May 1,” Mahler declared. “We may not be 100 percent complete, but we will be completed and ready for patrons.”
Translation: Some corners of the lobby may be closed off to the public. The theater may not be all scrubbed and polished. But it will be safe, secure, and filled with live music.
He then led a tour of the premises (in the video at top of the story), pointing out the in-transition bar (“The beer taps are going in as we speak”), the “state of the art acoustic system from France” being installed …
… and the brand new seats for the bottom floor, still in wrappers. The Music Hall will use 850 temporary seats on the first floor for shows drawing older crowds (like this weekend’s bills), then open the space up for 1,200 standees instead for more current acts. Still being laid in was flooring for the first level, in a terraced system.
The balcony has 800 permanent seats. It also has a “state-of-the-art HVAC system,” in Mahler’s words; crews installed over two days this past week when the city shut down College Street.
Mahler called attention to artwork on the ceiling as well as to a “new truss sound system from Mountain Productions.” He pointed to the rigging being installed onstage for “state-of-the-art rock-and-roll lights.” “This will look like the real deal when it’s done,” he said.
He also pointed to the old movie screen his crew discovered had been left behind. He plans to make use of it.
“Very impressive,” Mayor Harp said. And everyone kept fingers crossed.
Perhaps the press wants us to be nervous, but I for one have complete confidence in Keith and the New Haven Performing Arts Inc. leadership. I have worked with Keith since last summer and there are few people in the state who have better command of their craft than he does. It's "Another op'nin', another show" and for laymen like Paul and and myself it may seem daunting, but the pros they know, "Then out o' the hat, it's that big first night!" Cole Porter spent enough time in New Haven to get it right. Relax Paul!