Milton Theatre begins balcony restoration

It's been a project years in the making, but construction is finally underway on reinstalling a balcony at Milton Theatre. 

Work began on the project in late March, as the rear section of the theater was walled off to separate the construction zone from the rest of the space. 

Director Fred Munzert said the balcony is Phase 1 of a two-phase project to renovate the theater building. The balcony was an original feature of the building that 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 capital campaign to raise the funds was at one point paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“So much has changed to the capital campaign through the pandemic,” Munzert said. “We ended up rewriting the whole campaign. All the pricing changed. We really shifted everything. We wanted to push through and get that first phase cranking.”

Munzert said the balcony will eventually add between 110 and 120 seats to the theater. 

“It will be a very huge change to what the theater looks like,” he said. “We’re just excited to dig a hole after talking about it for so long.”

One of the changes to plans for the balcony was the decision to remain open during construction. Munzert said the original plan was to close temporarily and do the project that way. But those plans changed after the pandemic, with the decision to close the rear part of the theater, which had bar-top tables set up. Munzert said this resulted in the loss of about 30 seats. 

The balcony will be a self-supporting structure – the cost of steel beams was one of the construction expenses that increased exponentially. Munzert said once the steel comes in, work can really get moving as concrete can then be poured. All told, supply cost changes have pushed the project from an estimated $400,000 to nearly $600,000, he said. 

While supply chain issues could still cause problems, Munzert said, he hopes the main structure will be completed by June, although he does not expect seats to go in. Windows were installed around the construction area to allow patrons to see inside. 

“We’re kind of just pushing forward and doing each thing as it's needed. It’s so hard to tell,” he said. “The great news is we are building and we are moving forward, and as soon as we get the products in, we’ll install them and open and reopen pieces.”

Phase 2 of the renovation project will be completely renovating the stage, adding new bathrooms, a new lighting grid and artists’ areas. Munzert said the theater has begun seeking funds for this phase, which will make the theater much more convenient for the artists and will also add needed rehearsal spaces. 

“It’s going,” he said. “The areas that are going to be done for that, the general public doesn’t see, but it has a huge impact.”

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 famous 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.

While running shows during construction brings its own set of challenges, Munzert said, he is excited to see such a long-gestating project finally get off the ground.

“It’s stressful. I’m always up for a challenge when we’re talking about it, but when you actually do it, it’s another thing,” he said. “It’s definitely challenging, but it's exciting.”