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 Interactive map of Mahalia Jackson Theater of the Performing Arts | |
| Address | 1419Basin Street New Orleans,Louisiana United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 29°57′47″N90°04′10″W / 29.96312°N 90.06931°W /29.96312; -90.06931 |
| Owner | Ambassador Theatre Group |
| Type | Performing arts |
| Capacity | 2,100[1] |
| Current use | Performing arts venue |
| Construction | |
| Opened | January 1973 |
| Closed | August 2005 |
| Reopened | January 8, 2009 |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
TheMahalia Jackson Theater of the Performing Arts is a theater located inLouis Armstrong Park inNew Orleans,Louisiana. It was named aftergospel singerMahalia Jackson, who was born in New Orleans.[2] The theater reopened in January 2009, after being closed since the landfall ofHurricane Katrina (August 29, 2005).
It serves as the long-term residence of theNew Orleans Ballet Association, theNew Orleans Opera Association, and theBroadway Across America touring productions.[3]
The 2,100-seat Mahalia Jackson Theater first opened in January 1973, with a performance ofGiuseppe Verdi'sMessa da Requiem, starring New Orleans nativeNorman Treigle and the New Orleans Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, conducted byWerner Torkanowsky.[3][4]
BeforeHurricane Katrina, it was the home of theNew Orleans Opera Association and theNew Orleans Ballet Association and held occasional performances by theNew Orleans Jazz Orchestra and other groups. It was also the home of theLouisiana Philharmonic Orchestra for about ten years, before the orchestra moved to theOrpheum Theater.[5]
Diana Ross played a three-night, sold-out engagement at the theater in 1996. It was deemed one of the most successful pop concerts at the venue.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, the Mahalia Jackson Theater was severely damaged.[3] The theater sustained 14 ft. of water, which damaged the motor control center, orchestra lifts, heating and air-conditioning controls, sewerage ejector pumps and other structural components.[6] Following Katrina, repairs and upgrades were made including the addition of enhanced lighting and a new sound system, orchestra shell, ballet floor, and digital cinema screen. The cost of the theater renovation was around US$27 million, and was financed by local tax dollars, about $8.5 million from theFederal Emergency Management Agency, and a $500,000 grant from theAndrew W. Mellon Foundation.[6][7]
About a week of events from January 8 through January 17, 2009, celebrated the reopening of the theater, including a free performance byKermit Ruffins,Irma Thomas, andMarva Wright as well as paid performances byAllen Toussaint,Yolanda Adams, theLouisiana Philharmonic Orchestra withItzhak Perlman, New Orleans Ballet Association with members of theSan Francisco andNew York City Ballets, and the New Orleans Opera Association withPlácido Domingo.[8]
Mahalia Jackson Theater was the first of the major theaters in New Orleans to reopen after Hurricane Katrina.[9] City officials hoped the theater would help draw tourists to the city.[10]
In 2013 the theater hosted the2012 NFL Honors, honoring the bestNational Football League players and performances.[11]
On June 25, 2009,Broadway Across America and MayorRay Nagin announced that touring shows would return to the theater for the 2009–10 season. Shows featured wereCats,The Color Purple,Mamma Mia!,Wicked, andAvenue Q.[12] Broadway shows toured here while theSaenger Theatre,State Palace Theatre, and theOrpheum Theater were undergoing major renovations due toHurricane Katrina.
On March 16, the 2010-11Broadway Across America season was announced. Shows included were:Cirque Dreams Illumination,RAIN,Spamalot,West Side Story, andShrek.The Color Purple also returned to the theater as a special, due to popular demand.[13] On May 4, 2010Storytime Live! was added to the 2009-2010 season, with dates set for July 23–25.
The national tour ofThe Addams Family in September 2011 was the first Broadway musical to take advantage of the incentive programs offered byLouisiana Entertainment, the state's comprehensive entertainment industry development office.[14]
The 2011–2012 season was announced on March 14, 2011.The Lion King, which was originally set to have itsLouisiana debut at theSaenger Theatre in spring 2012, played instead at the Mahalia Jackson Theater.
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