Upgrades to modernize the space at the Capitol Theatre.

Combined federal and provincial funding of $710 thousand, plus around $300 thousand from the theatre itself.

Managing Director Kim Rayworth says this will be used to replace the main hall seats, “Right now we only have a place for four wheelchair seats on the main floor.
The preliminary plans in this project see the addition of up to ten spaces for wheelchairs or other mobility provisions. We do now have bariatric seats which are seats for larger guests without arms and those will be able to be placed in these areas,” Rayworth says.

She adds that one of the most negative ratings they receive currently on the experience of attending a show is the seats, “People expect a certain level of comfort and pleasure when they sit for two hours in the hall.”

There are currently 780 seats at the Capitol, and preliminary drawings from the project show the loss of around ten of them with the upgrades.

“They’re considering perhaps reducing the middle aisle and by meeting present-day national building codes and fire prevention codes, in respecting of all those egress and Ingress. It’s looking good that we won’t lose too many seats,” Rayworth adds.

(Photo: TDCB)

The current seats were brought in when the building was restored in 1993. The hope is the new seats will be more comfortable and made in 2024, but they will include certain architectural or design elements that won’t make them too jarring for the hall.

Funds will also be used to purchase new soundboard monitors for the artists on stage and LED video panels, that really assist with the annual winter musical.

“This equipment is something that we really rely upon for our musicals and it’s technology that is also used by visiting and touring artists. So it’s something that gets used often,” Rayworth says.

The Theatre began looking at these upgrades around six years ago, but with the pandemic, they had to hit pause on the project.

Renovations will be done starting in June 2024, with the expected completion in September. The Theatre will be closed while the work is being done.

Funds for the renovations that are being provided by the Capitol Theatre were raised primarily through ticket sales over the past two years.  For every ticket sold, the theatre charges a $3.50 Ticket Levy, and that money goes into a fund, which on occasion can be matched.  This assists in major renovations and projects.

Last year, the Capitol Theatre celebrated its 100th anniversary.