Imperial Theatre in Saint John. (Staff photo)
Patrons of the arts got a look at the brand new lobby at the Imperial Theatre Thursday night.
Renovations had shut down the lobby all summer long, but finally wrapped up in time for the Theatre’s next season.
The space boasts new flooring, new paint, a different lay-out, and an added performance space in the upper lobby.
Executive Director Angela Campbell says the finished product is even better than she ever imagined.
“I’m so happy that when you walk in the front doors, the box office and house manager are right at the back of the lobby where they should be, so you get invited into the lobby as opposed to staying in the vestibule,” she said.
She says the architects captured her vision for the space perfectly.
“We wanted the lobbies to be a transition space between this new, vibrant Saint John that exists outside our front doors, and that hundred and seven year old Vaudeville house that exists in the auditorium, so the lobbies have a very classic feel and yet still with all of these wonderful modern elements,” she said.
And here’s a look at the second floor lobby, complete with a new area for musicians to play. pic.twitter.com/ovg6CelWPN
— Danielle McCreadie (@danimccreadie) September 19, 2019
Bethany Stout, the assistant executive director at the Theatre, agrees.
“It’s actually better than I imagined,” she said.
Stout says her favourite part of the new lobby is the updated flooring.
“I love the floor in the main lobby. I think the entrance is beautiful. I think it respects the beauty of this building, and it’s classic but it feels fresh and light and I love it,” she said.
Campbell says one of her favourite parts of the renovation is the transformation of the upstairs lobby.
“We’ve converted the upper lobby into a lounge space, and our whole thinking in creating that space is that we wanted a secondary performance space essentially, we wanted to be able to use the upper lobby in new ways,” she said.
Campbell says there are still a few finishing touches to be made, but the lobby is open and ready to kick off the Theatre’s season with shows all weekend long.
