Milton Theatre balcony project nears homestretch
The walls came down at Milton Theatre recently, and that is a good thing, as the public can now see the makings of the theater’s restored balcony.
Earlier this year, construction walls were built around the future balcony site, reducing the theater’s capacity. Theater Director Fred Munzert said three weeks ago, the steel skeleton that makes up the balcony was laid in, with concrete poured to solidify the foundation. From there, the construction walls were removed for people to get a look at the balcony.
Munzert said there’s still plenty of work to do, specifically the actual seats. He said the seats will be traditional theater seats with wooden backs and arms.
“It will be a very plush area to sit in,” Munzert said.
Once the seats come in, a new drop ceiling will be installed. The hope is to have the balcony – which will add 120 seats to the theater’s capacity – open to the public in the fall in a limited capacity.
“We’ll only be able to open the first couple rows in the balcony initially,” Munzert said. “We want to open it just so we can be using it. I think by the end of October that’s going to be happening.”
With the balcony framework installed, the theater will turn its attention to other projects. One is revamping the area underneath the balcony on the main floor of the building. Before, the theater had placed tabletops in that area, but Munzert said his vision is to add a bar and a mini-stage for acoustic acts.
Additional renovations are set to begin later this year, Munzert said, which will include renovating the artist areas to have more convenient dressing rooms and additional rehearsal spaces. The project also calls for new bathrooms, a new box office and relocating the snack bar.
The balcony was an original feature of the building, but it was removed in the 2000s. Since the Milton Theatre Renaissance Initiative was announced in 2018, restoring the balcony has been one of the top priorities.
The Milton Theatre traces its roots to 1914, when the building was first constructed and named The Fox Theatre, for its owner Ida Fox, one of the first female theater managers in the state. In 1929, basketball courts were installed at the theater and used for Milton-area high school teams. During World War II, the theater was used for fundraising efforts, selling war bonds and stamps. In the 1980s, the theater was home to Roxie’s Restaurant, located in what is now the entrance and concession area, owned by E.M. Scott, one of the theater’s then-owners.
The theater has seen its share of troubles over the years: It caught fire in 1952, suffered damage from flooding during the infamous Storm of 1962 and remained racially segregated as late as 1956. The theater was foreclosed on and closed in 2010, before being bought by the Howard family in 2013 and reopened the next year.
