Heinz Hall

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Coordinates: 40.442635° N 80.001576° W The Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District, is the home venue of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Broadway performances, concerts, and stage shows also run at the 2,662-seat venue.

Grand Lobby of Heinz Hall.

1 History of Heinz Hall
2 Programs
3 See also
4 References

[edit] History of Heinz Hall

Originally built as the Loew's Penn Theater, construction of the hall was completed in 1927. Motion picture business magnate and pioneer Marcus Loew engaged the architectural firm of Rapp & Rapp to design the 1920s-era film palace. The Grand Lobby was particularly impressive, with its 50-foot-high vaulted Venetian ceiling, massive ornamental columns, marble staircase, bronze and crystal chandeliers and silk drapes.^[1]

Like many 1920s-era film palaces, the Loew's Penn Theater fell on hard times. The public stayed home to watch television; maintenance costs for the opulent building rose and put a squeeze on profitability. The theater was forced to shut its doors in 1964. Like many of its kind, the theater was scheduled for demolition. Henry J. Heinz II and Charles Denby, President of the Pittsburgh Symphony Society, together with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Allegheny Conference and the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, rescued the building.^[1]

From 1967 to 1971, the building was massively restored. While the basic architecture of the building remained unchanged, the entrance was moved outwards and faced with a 40-foot-high arched window. The one-ton chandeliers were rebuilt and their crystals replaced. Ornamental elements in both the Grand Lobby and the auditorium were removed for acoustic and aesthetic reasons. The building's rear was extended, adding almost 30 feet to the stage, and making space for dressing rooms, a music library, and rehearsal rooms. ^[1]

The Grand Opening of Heinz Hall was on September 10, 1971.^[1]

In 1982, the Heinz Foundation sponsored the creation of Heinz Hall Plaza and a four-story addition to the hall.^[1]

In 1995, Heinz Hall underwent a four-month, $6.5-million renovation, including a new orchestra shell, acoustical risers, new butterfly sound reflector, heating and air conditioning improvements, fresh paint, wallpaper and gold leaf and auditorium seats refurbishment.^[1]