BARBERTON: Gone are the battered theater seats. The dull and frayed velvet wall covering. The old circuit panel so questionable, employees would flip the breakers with a plastic tool rather than risk contact with their fingers.
Goodbye to the stained bathroom tiles and exposed plumbing. To the wood gondola on the rickety ceiling track that carried staff to the lights. To the carpet held together with duct tape.
The staff of the Magical Theatre Company showed off what $1.8 million can buy and offered an emotional thank you to more than 100 supporters, donors and local VIPs at a champagne reception Tuesday evening.
“There were so many people who said we couldn’t do it, that you couldn’t raise that kind of money for this old theater in downtown Barberton,” said Dennis Liddle, co-chair of the “Restore the Magic” capital campaign. “We kept hearing it over and over.”
He said it was “fun to watch” the process of proving them wrong.
“It just goes to show what people can do when they have a passion,” he said.
The restored 1919 building, known to generations of movie-goers as the Park, has been home to the professional acting troupe since 1985. The Magical Theatre entertains more than 50,000 youngsters a year.
In September, the staff hosted an event to show off their decaying home. Then in the spring, the actors moved out and the construction crews moved in.
Work was completed in time for the holiday season, just two weeks before Cinderella opens on Dec. 4.
With it’s new teal-blue seats and blue and gold wall fabric, the theater maintains a vintage mystique while still feeling fresh, said Dennis O’Connell. He and his wife, Holly Bardoll, have been at the theater’s helm for 23 years.
Barberton City Council President Fred Maurer looked over the changes, remarking, “It takes me back 50 years or more coming down here for Saturday matinees.”
The success of the fundraising campaign, “shows people really care about the arts and care about their city,” he added.
While the upstairs delighted visitors, it was the basement that caused mother and daughter actresses Molly and Kate Clay to squeal loudly.
They vocalized their joy after opening the door to one of the two dressing rooms.
“It’s so nice! This is so nice!” Kate Clay kept repeating as she ran her hand over a wall of lockers.
The door is new. So are the walls. For years, actors had to dress behind pieces of mismatched fabric hanging from the rafters, with baskets on the floor to hold their clothes.
Kate Clay said it was nice that “some of the money came downstairs,” then broke into another squeal as she ran to a sink installed next to the makeup mirrors.
While much of the old theater ended up in the dumpster, the iconic marble ticket booth did not.
It was refurbished, with crews finding a surprise when they temporarily moved it. Buried in the floor was a “Mercury” dime from 1919; leaving a coin in the foundation of a new building was an old tradition.
At Tuesday night’s reveal, Holly Barkdoll led the small gathering in a champagne toast while O’Connell noted every person present — representatives of foundations, civic groups, businesses, staff, private donors and community volunteers — had a role in realizing the theater’s dream.
The naysayers “did not take you into the equation,” he told them.
Sophie Albrecht, the other co-chair and wife of Acme Fresh Markets President Steve Albrecht, said she was honored to play a role in the effort.
“Every dream starts with ‘Once Upon a Time’,” she said. “Well, you know what, it’s now once upon OUR time.”
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/paulaschleis.