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Beacon Theatre Reopens After $16 Million Restoration

More than 1,000 artisans, craftsmen and tradesmen took part in the restoration process.

Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 2/27/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Beacon Theatre finally lives up to its name again, shining brightly on New York’s Upper West Side following a $16 million restoration by Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners. First to take the newly replaced stage: quintessential New Yorker Paul Simon, for two sold-out performances on February 13 and 14.

Originally designed by architect Walter Ahlschlager for live vaudeville and silent film presentations, the theatre was remodeled shortly after its 1929 opening by Warner Brothers to accommodate talking pictures. For the past two decades, it’s been home to rock legends like The Rolling Stones, Jerry Garcia and the Allman Brothers Band.

Beacon Theatre

Designated a New York landmark building in 1979, the 2,800-seat venue has returned to its original grandeur following a comprehensive, seven-month overhaul that tackled the entire interior of the historic building, including public and backstage areas.

Beyer Blinder Belle conducted extensive historic research, including on-site examinations of the original decorative painting techniques that had been covered by decades-old layers of paint. In the end, the restoration effort had enlisted more than 1,000 artisans, craftsmen and tradesmen to restore the building's mixed brew of Greek, Roman, Renaissance and Rococo styles.

Beacon Theatre A long-lost mural was recreated over the entrance doors in the rotunda lobby. The space’s original lighting effects were reactivated, and custom carpets were modeled after the theater’s original floor coverings. Other restored original elements include a 30-foot-high, Venetian-inspired chandelier, and the stage's sunburst proscenium valance, with its sculptures of animals, masks, urns, Grecian women and instruments of war.

But it wasn’t all an ode to the past. The firm also ramped up the Beacon’s sound system, updated its concession stands, and refurbished the public restrooms. And in a move certain to please upcoming acts like Leonard Cohen, Emmylou Harris, B.B. King and Van Morrison, there’s also a new star dressing room.

Images courtesy of MSG Entertainment.