“It’s important for any theater, especially one that is historic in nature, to continue ongoing maintenance, and this is part of that effort,” Glickman said.
The $100,000 seating upgrade will involve replacing the foam interiors of the seat cushions, which will also be covered with new velour fabric, said Jack Allaway, associate director of the Alex Theatre.
“It’s a smoother material,” Allaway said.
Although the look of the theater will remain unchanged, the changes will provide increased comfort for about 100,000 visitors who attend shows there annually, Glickman said.
After more than 16 years of use, those seat cushions were in need of replacement, she said.
“That’s a lot of wear and tear on the property,” Glickman said.
The new seat fabric will match the existing rust-colored seats, and the cushions, although similar in nature, will be more comfortable, said Carrie Young, executive vice president of Cy Young Industries, which is installing the seats.
While the seat cushions and fabric were worn and needed to be replaced, the seat frames remain high quality, Young said.
“The chairs that are in there are still today considered the top of the line,” she said. “To take them out and replace them with new chairs today would be a mistake.”
The Alex Theatre will be replacing seats in stages in between scheduled performances and will not close for an extended period until July, when it plans to shut down for two months to accommodate for the courtyard renovations.
Those changes could include heat lamps, sun shades, changes to the concessions area, and potential outdoor audio and video playback capabilities, Glickman said.
The changes would allow the front courtyard of the theater to be used for performances, receptions or other events, she said.
