First look at renovated theater
By: Mary Davies
Updated: January 18, 2013
CHAMPAIGN-- Theater lovers will have plenty to look forward to when the Virginia Theater reopens.
The theater is nearly a century old and is undergoing restorations. The auditorium has new plaster and has been repainted. It's also getting new lighting and seats. Workers even stumbled upon a surprise in the middle of the project.
"One of the biggest discoveries was the murals that are surrounding two of the Tiffany lights on each side of the dome. We figured out they that are original to the building when it was opened in 1921. So it took full efforts to completely restore them and reinstall them and they are back in place and ready for the public to see," said Laura Auteberry, Marketing & Development Director with the Champaign Park District.
The project will likely cost $5 million. The theater is set to reopen in April.
The theater is nearly a century old and is undergoing restorations. The auditorium has new plaster and has been repainted. It's also getting new lighting and seats. Workers even stumbled upon a surprise in the middle of the project.
"One of the biggest discoveries was the murals that are surrounding two of the Tiffany lights on each side of the dome. We figured out they that are original to the building when it was opened in 1921. So it took full efforts to completely restore them and reinstall them and they are back in place and ready for the public to see," said Laura Auteberry, Marketing & Development Director with the Champaign Park District.
The project will likely cost $5 million. The theater is set to reopen in April.
