The Huntington Theatre opened to the public on Monday for the first time in 941 days, having closed first because of COVID-19 and then for major renovations that included a restoration of the almost century-old theater building.
The first production at the revamped theater, the August Wilson play “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” is scheduled to raise the curtains Friday. But the formal ribbon-cutting for the space took place Monday morning, with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on hand. The Huntington Theatre Co. then hosted an open house, including guided tours.
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The work took about 20 months and cost $58 million. The 32,000-square-foot theater itself was restored, including the lighting fixtures from its 1925 debut, and new seating was put in. Other spaces were completely renovated, including dressing rooms, a rehearsal and event room, and the building’s entrance.
“We began this journey with a clear goal to save this gem of a theater, to return it to its former architectural glory, and to infuse it with new, modern systems and amenities so that we could broaden the scope of our artistic ambitions, and increase our services to artists, audiences and the community,” Michael Maso, managing director of The Huntington, said in a statement.
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More on this story from Boston Business Journal, including photos of the newly restored theatre