THE PAST, PRESENT AND THE FUTURE For 80 years she has stood watch over Palafox Place, her bright lights beckoning to old and young, inviting them to suspend their disbelief and tuck their troubles away for a few hours. Some have traveled to Siam, others have met Mozart, and many more have become ballerinas or rock stars. She is the “Grand Dame of Palafox,” she is the Saenger Theatre and she is here to stay. The legacy began in 1925 when the doors of this grand hall opened for a showing of Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments.” The Saenger Theatre was home to Vaudeville in the early years and during the Second World War became a place where folks could get the latest news from the other side of the world. Newsreels from the war played on the Saenger screen 24 hours a day. It was during this time that new seats were installed in the downstairs area. The new fangled seats were complete with everything except the springs that make the seats pop back up when no one is sitting in them, a condition that hasn’t changed in 60 years. All available metal was being used for the war effort so springs were a luxury reserved for a nobler cause. Then, like downtowns all over the country, Pensacola suffered during the 1970’s, a decade that brought hard times to the Saenger. She had remained a movie house and had fallen into a state of disrepair and despair. In 1975, ABC Southeastern Theatres donated the aging lady to the City of Pensacola. Through a joint effort with the University of West Florida, she was restored to her original splendor and once again became what she was intended to be, a performing arts theatre. Her grand re-opening occurred in 1981 with a performance by the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Since then she has seen a lobby renovation and expansion and has played host to an endless variety of entertainment from Broadway to Beethoven, from comedy to the Pensacola Children’s Chorus and from Opera to “Oklahoma.” Still owned by the City of Pensacola, the Saenger Theatre is managed by SMG, an Entertainment Management company based in Philadelphia that employs Pensacolians to run the day-to-day operations of the theatre. The Saenger Theatre isn’t going anywhere. In fact, a grassroots committee has announced an initiative to expand and once again renovate “The Grand Dame.” Plans call for an expanded stage and dressing rooms, a new entrance on Intendencia Street, a multi-use room and more comfortable seating. The renovation is estimated to cost $9 million with the monies coming from the local option sales tax, private donations and grants. If all goes well, the Saenger could be the preeminent Gulf Coast Cultural Center by 2008. This crown jewel, “The Grand Dame of Palafox Place” has withstood the test of time. The future promises to be even bigger and brighter for Pensacola’s elegant, older lady, a lady who is just now hitting her prime. Additional articles about the Saenger: |