FLINT, Michigan — The Capitol Theatre is getting a new orchestra pit lift through grants from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs, Consumers Energy Foundation, and Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
The Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs and Consumers Energy Foundation each contributed $50,000 to Uptown Reinvestment Corp. to outfit the theater with a mechanized orchestra pit lift. The Mott Foundation provided a $240,000 grant to cover the rest of the cost.
“The lift serves as an extremely useful and cost-effective way to route production equipment from backstage/loading dock locations to front of house/auditorium positions,” said Jarret Haynes, executive director of The Whiting, which manages the theater’s programming and operations. “The mechanical operation allows for reconfigurations to be undertaken in a timely and cost-effective fashion, as opposed to manual adjustments to the height of the pit floor.
“This will allow us to assure accessibility for an array of local and regional performances.”
The Capitol Theatre reopened just over a year ago after a $37 million renovation. Its retail space includes two locally owned boutiques, Shift and Bedrock Apparel, and a video arcade bar is set to open next year. It has played host to concerts, comedy shows, musicals, and even Christmas movies.
Related story: Catch a classic Christmas Movie at the Capitol Theatre
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