Newly restored Elitch Theater nearly ready for another curtain call

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Elitch Theater was once known as the longest  continuously operating summer-stock theater in the country, beloved for its vaudeville acts, plays and concerts. Its rehabilitation has become an important community project.

Dan T. DeCristiforo

After 100 years of continuous operation, the cupola-capped Elitch Theater appeared to have exhausted its infinite supply of magic. But as with all things theatrical, appearances can be deceiving. Despite more than 15 years of neglect—the theater went dark in 1991—it is rising from the ashes, or this case, mud and animal droppings, much to the delight of theater buffs across the country.

Rendering courtesy of OZ Architecture

Erected in 1890 as a temporary, open-air venue on the former site of Elitch Gardens Amusement Park at 38th and Tennyson streets in northwest Denver, the Elitch Theater was never intended to last more than a few decades, let alone a century. Through much of its history, it was a nationally recognized cultural destination. During the old theater’s heyday, many stars shuttling by train between Broadway and Hollywood would stop in Denver, where they lingered to perform a repertory of 10 different plays in 10 weeks.

The parade of notables to grace its stage—many of them Academy Award winners—included Sarah Bernhardt, Grace Kelly, Robert Redford, Edward G. Robinson, Douglas Fairbanks, Cecil B. DeMille, Ginger Rogers, Lana Turner, Julie Harris and Jose Ferrer.

But the theater hosted fewer productions through the 1970s and ‘80s and closed in the early ‘90s when the amusement park moved to Denver’s Central Platte Valley. The exterior of the old theater was extensively decayed, it lacked a foundation and exhibited a disconcerting southward sag. Since its closure, the interior had been overrun by hordes of feral cats, foxes, raccoons and pigeons.

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Nick of Time 

The theater’s rehabilitation was spearheaded by an alliance of neighbors, performers, preservation-minded business leaders and government agencies.

“This was a train wreck waiting to happen,” says Kevin Causey, producer, director, actor and head of the Center for American Theater and the lead fundraiser for the restoration. "Essentially, we rebuilt a matchstick edifice.”

The all-wood theater teetered atop a hodgepodge of framing and fieldstones. “There were structural failures throughout and dozens of water leaks,” Causey says. “The interior was packed with animal feces and, frankly, had the crew from Palace Construction not performed so superbly, December’s devastating blizzard might have brought the house down with tragic finality.”

“We managed to install the new roof (asphalt-shingles) and siding in the nick of time,” says Doug McNeil, project manager for Denver’s Palace >> Construction, which is donating time and overhead to the project. “At the very least, the storm likely would have caused portions of the roof to cave in. Water damage alone would have made renovation impossible.”

The roof, siding, structural reinforcement, a concrete foundation and extensive abatement work— including asbestos remediation and the extraction of 5,000 bags of animal feces—were key elements in Phase I of the theater’s rehabilitation. The $14.2 million project was funded by tax increment financing, public and private donations and government grants. To date, approximately $4 million has been raised.

The first phase, which began last October, restores the picturesque entry portico and re-creates an original covered walkway that will connect the portico to a planned porte-cochere and handicap lift on the building’s north side. Landings will be installed atop steps outside the original doorways.

The burgeoning cultural center in the heart of the Highlands Garden neighborhood already boasts a significant following of locals who flock to summer programs featuring theater, music, cinema and a farmers’ market in the restored Carousel Pavilion.

“In a sense, the theater has been operational since we launched the Center for American Theater and began fund raising four years ago,” says Causey.

“Elitch did not have a ‘name’ architect,” says Diane Wray Tomasso, preservation consultant on the project. “We joke that a bunch of ‘drunk carnies’ threw it together. Each spring the staff scrounged up whatever pieces they could find and strung it together for another season.”

Tomasso estimates that close to 95% of the original material in the theater will remain after the rehabilitation. The only element to fail completely was the siding, which was “literally shedding off the walls,” he says.

“Everyone involved concurred with our wood-expert’s conclusion that the siding was unsalvageable, including the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission, State Historical Fund of the Colorado Historical Society and the National Park Service,” says Tomasso. “New custom-milled siding accurately replicates the original. Insulation was added before the walls were resealed.”

“Phase I, due to wrap up soon, saved Elitch’s,” says Causey.

A New Life 

Phase II of the rehabilitation, set to begin as funding allows, includes demolition of the Fly Building, an ungainly cinder-block stagehouse erected in the 1940s for the purpose of “flying” props and backdrops into the wings during performances. The new structure, which restores the basic profile of the long-departed original Fly Building, will be contemporary in appearance but consistent with the scale of the theater.

“You don’t want to introduce a new piece that’s alien to the historical piece,” says Linda Purcell, associate principal of OZ Architecture. “The re-created covered walkway, for example, replicates the original, while the new Fly Building is distinctive but not in a way that detracts from the theater. It retains key characteristics of the original architecture.”

Phase II will transform the theater into a state-of-the-art multimedia production house with year-round programming, featuring live plays, multimedia, film, dance and lectures.

“We have partnered with performing arts [at the University of Colorado] to provide a student performance venue, internships and educational programs to the public, from kindergarten kids to seniors,” Causey says.

The intent is not to compete with local and regional theaters, he says. Rather the company wants to expand its efforts by developing new generations of theater-goers. He’s convinced the Elitch mystique will draw today’s stars—not just to perform but also to teach master acting classes and host talk-back sessions.

Programming will be thematically driven. The inaugural season honors Tennessee Williams and New Orleans. Plans also call for mounting a Broadway-style production of A Streetcar Named Desire, along with a year-long jazz festival that will include symposia and workshops that highlight the Big Easy’s cultural contributions to the nation.

“Audiences will enjoy a completely modern theater experience here,” says Causey, “with state-of the-art multimedia systems, lighting, comfortable seating for 800 and sophisticated climate control.” The curtain should rise at the restored Elitch Theater in time for the 2008 season.

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