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(added 16th July 1973)The Akron Civic Theatre in Akron, Ohio, originally opened as a Loew’s Akron in April 1929.
The auditorium is set well back from the street, and so to enter one must pass through a beautiful four story Moorish Castle-themed lobby, described on the National Register of Historic Places as “a fairyland of extraordinary and imaginative Italian renaissance décor”. The richly ornamented walls support a coffered pyramidal ceiling.
The auditorium of the theatre was designed as a Moorish Garden, more specifically an Andalusian Garden according to EverGreene Architectural Arts who worked on the $26 million renovation and restoration of the auditorium completed in 2002.
The 2002 project did not include the Grand Lobby, except for the wall leading into the theatre. For nearly 20 years patrons have been able to see the very visible division between dull and dazzling, representing nearly 100 years of degradation.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, an $8.5 million renovation project saw the Grand Lobby and other Front-of-house areas restored to their former glory.
Further Reading. (duration 3’36”), as reported by ideastream public media., completed in 2002..
Photos of the Akron Civic TheatrePhoto credits are noted where data was available at the time of inclusion. Photos displayed here may be subject to copyright; refer to our Copyright Fair Use Statement regarding our use of copyrighted media and contact us with any concerns.
Photographs copyright © 2002-2023 Mike Hume / Historic Theatre Photos unless otherwise noted.
Text copyright © 2017-2023 Mike Hume / Historic Theatre Photos.
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