After being closed for almost four months for construction, the 7th Street Theatre Association was proud to present its restoration projects to over 500 attendees on January 25th. The concert featured the Aberdeen Elks National Band and Dukes of Swing, a spinoff group of musicians from the Elks Band. The bands performed in tune with the energy of the concertgoers, who encouraged the musicians with many rounds of applause. The Harbor Art Guild also had some samplings of their artwork on display in the lobby.
A slide show was presented prior to the concert which recapped all of the accomplishments of the 7th Street Theatre during 2008. Some of the highlights included over 35 events, return of the theatre’s original pipe organ (from Clute, Texas), marquee restoration, discovery or original murals in the auditorium, DeLoreans visiting the theatre for Back to the Future, and the two biggest projects: the seat restoration and stage rigging replacement projects.
The Save-A-Seat project began in early 2008 and over $50,000 was raised from the community. The entire project cost was $135,000. The balance was funded by the State of Washington capital budget appropriation from 2005. The 997 original seats were picked up in early October and delivered to McNeil Island to be refurbished by the Washington Correctional Industries. They were returned in late December and early January. All of the veneer on the seat backs was repaired and every seat cushion was rebuilt and recovered. Even the armrests were refinished. The quality of work is superb and the board is extremely happy with the project results. Over 30 volunteers helped remove and reinstall the seats and hundreds of volunteer hours were spent on this project. A display in the lobby showcases all seat purchaser plaques.
The stage rigging replacement project was the most expensive project the 7th Street has had to date – almost $700,000. This project include new catwalks, caged access ladders, a fire curtain, more line sets and all new curtains. The grand drapes and valance were designed to match the originals. Rognlin’s, Inc. of Aberdeen was the general contractor and Stage Craft Industries installed the rigging, line sets and curtains.
The Theatre Association was honored to have Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen, Senator Jim Hargrove, Representative Lynn Kessler, Secretary of Corrections Eldon Vail and Senator Karen Fraser, Chair of the Capital Budget Committee present at the concert.
The concert was sponsored by the Hoquiam Development Association, Hoquiam Business Association, Harbor Drug, Ken Schoenfeld Furniture and Levee Lumber.
Upcoming events are posted regularly on the theatre’s website: www.7thstreettheatre.com, and a visit to the News & Blog page can take you to the online photo album of the Reopening Celebration.
