Saenger Theater in New Orleans, Louisiana
Opened in February 1927, New Orleans’ Saenger Theatre was one of many movie palaces that were part of the Julian and Abe Saenger collection of great theaters nationwide. Usually considered the “flagship” of this conglomeration of opulent movie houses, the New Orleans location is one of only several that is still in use today, though it is currently undergoing restoration.
The Saenger Theatre, located on Canal Street, once accommodated some 4,000 audience members and it cost $2.5 million to build, a staggering number in the 1920s. In the early days of the Saenger brothers’ ownership, customers at the theater saw both a silent film and a stage play and were entertained by the strains of the Saenger Grand Orchestra at every show.
The theater was sold to Paramount-Publix in 1929 and this company sustained it through the tough years of the Depression, converting to a movie-only theater in 1933. It remained as such until 1964, when ABC Interstate Theaters purchased the property and converted it into two theaters – one up and one down. It was sold again in 1978 and, this time, the new owner spent several million to renovate it. When it re-opened in 1980, it had a reduced seating capacity of about 2,700 and its first public performance included a visit by comedian and TV personality Johnny Carson. From that point on, it continued to be a live performance theater, occasionally hosting cinema festivals in homage to its movie theater roots.
The theater, designed by Emile Weil, is Italian Baroque in design. The inside was extremely elaborate with more than 150 lights in the ceiling that represented the major constellations. It also included a four-manual, 26-rank pipe organ built by Robert-Morton Organ Company, and this is one of just a few of the company’s organs still in place where it was originally installed.
During Hurricane Katrina, the Saenger Theatre suffered much water damage, but because it was in the middle of a renovation, a lot of things (seats, carpeting, etc.) had already been removed from the theater and, hence, were spared damaged. The organ, however, did suffer water damage as did other parts of the building including the basement and the orchestra seating level.
In 2009, ownership of the Saenger Theatre was
transferred to the city’s Canal Street Development Corporation, with a
contract that stated the theater would hold a minimum of 80 shows per year.
Renovations began in early 2010, in hopes of restoring the theater to its
original grandeur. Adjacent buildings will be added that will house a
restaurant, additional restrooms, box offices and more, and the stage will
be enlarged by some 40 percent. The city hopes The Saenger Theatre will
reopen by the fall of 2011 and renovations should cost just under $40
million.
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