GET READY TO TAKE YOUR SEAT!

No, the Princess isn't quite ready for you yet, but your seat is being stalled this week, and one will be reserved for you on opening night!  The new seats, which were donated by Regal Cinemas, are being assembled, piece-by-piece...literally (see photo), this week and are being install according to Frank Sparkman's engineering drawings.  It appears the seating will be five abreast on each side, with 10 in each of the middle rows.  This configuration promises the most seats for the floor space, but until they are all in, the exact count can't accurately be determined.

The six seats shown are in each of the back corners of the main floor auditorium and offer space for a wheel-chair bound patron and three companions at each of these four rows.

The comfy cushioned seats look brand new, and are burnt orange with black trim.  The burnt orange will probably match a pattern in the carpet yet to be installed.

I was also pleased to see that the cracks patched in the terrazzo had dried and been ground down, and it appears to be a perfect match!  Again, I can hardly wait to see it all polished and sealed, and looking like new again.

Out front, Tim Plemons and crew, have painted over the weather-proof paneling beneath the marquee, and gives us hope that soon the entire Princess will be "spic'n span" and inviting us in.

However, one of my greatest finds today was this scene in one of the upstairs rooms of the Tappan building.  The ceiling has been repaired, but the walls and everything else still awaits further work.  These upstairs rooms will not see full restoration until much later down the road, but will be important to the Princess Complex in the future.

But, I couldn't help but try and capture the lighting that streamed in from outside and played on the old wooden floor.  We should remember, that these old 1890's buildings are treasures in themselves, and we should be appreciative of the second chance we are getting to see and use them in our live time.  Roane Street is full of such treasures, and they all stand waiting for someone with vision to turn them into useful spaces for a new generation.

THE PRINCESS RESTORATION PROJECT BEGINS IN EARNEST

That’s right, for all you “non-believers”, progress on the “Princess Performing Arts, Education, and Conference Center” has begun! This week the old seats will be removed from the theater and stored until the refurbishing company is ready for them. Next week, you will see the old roof being torn off and the new 20-year roof construction begin!

After the roof, the real restoration work can begin inside. However, you (the general public) will only see the seats coming out, the new roof going on, and later this year the façade and marquee reconstruction. The restored beauty of the Princess will be revealed at the grand-opening. A huge celebration (possibly 2 to 3 days long), complete with live entertainment, is planned when the facility is completed.

This celebration will be “YOUR” party and we hope you come join in the fun!

Until then, I will be posting pictures of the progress inside, and try to keep you informed about coming events. I’ve been assigned my hardhat and credentials which should allow me to be your eyes and hears on the project.

You will also notice that the old Acme Drug building (to the left of the Princess) has also been a beehive of activity of late. Channel 15 is another part of the Center that will be coming on line soon. It should make air long before the Princess auditorium, and give our kids at Roane State “hands-on” media experience. The Comcast broadband connection should give the Princess Performing Arts, Education, and Conference Center access to multiple East Tennessee counties, giving us a very wide audience!

So, keep your eyes on the Princess…she’ll be smiling at us again soon! The dream IS happening!

Please note, we are more than happy to share our experiences with other theatre restoration groups. Send us an email (princess.theater AT Yahoo) that includes your telephone number today!