Last night's Oscar party at The Little Theatre was the last event at Theater 1 for several months.
The next phase of renovations begin at the historic building today. Artistic director Bri Merkel says the lobby will be expanded into the adjacent storefronts to include an upgraded concessions area.
"One thing that we're really excited about is we're kind of going back a little back a little bit to what the place looked like when it first opened," she explained. "We're going to have a focus on art deco design in the lobby which got lost in the years before."
The existing inner lobby will become a lounge inspired by the one that existed when the theatre first opened in October 1929.
"There's going to be a lounge right in front of the auditorium space that was actually talked about in some of the original paperwork that we can find from the theatre when it opened," Merkel said. "as an area where sophisticated conversation could happen after films."
The Little's Theater 1 will be closed for an estimated 6 to 8 months for the restoration. Theaters 2, 3, 4 and 5 and the Little Cafe will remain open.
WXXI does manages, but does not own The Little.
Click on the LISTEN link above to hear an interview with Bri Merkel.
