Balcony Seating Restored in Historic Rochester Theater

HEAR YE! HEAR YE!

Rochester Opera House patrons will be greeted by 465 balcony seats, dressed in their finest for the opening of the 2012/2013 season. The 104 year old seats, patched with duct tape and splintered with age, took a trip to Michigan during the week of June 11, 2012.  They were bound for Encore Seating Restorations to be restored under the supervision of owner Ed Dombrowski. (Continued below with photos)

 

To prepare for the journey, Dan Pike and crew of A + Athletic Products in Rollinsford, NH were charged with measuring every seat and every back.  No two seats are exactly the same size due to the design of the horseshoe balcony. As the seats, piled on the stage, awaited transport, the crew from O’Sullivan Flooring in Quincy, MA sanded the hundred year build-up of dirt and grime from the balcony floor to reveal the stunning beauty of the original red fir wood.

Bit by bit and step by step, the Rochester Opera House, during the past 16 years, has been lovingly restored by the efforts of hundreds of volunteers in partnership with the City of Rochester.  This grand historic theatre, built by Rochester native George Gilman Adams in 1908, is the last remaining theatre in the world with a mechanism that raises/levels the orchestra floor. We celebrate the return of the balcony seats and the determination of all, who have had a hand in restoration and support of the Rochester Opera House.

Please visit www.rochesteroperahouse.com for a video tour and for information on a great line-up of upcoming events for adults, families, children and teens.

Visit the Rochester Opera House official Web site here