Opera house gets new life
04/05/2009
By Jan Bales
The Capital-Journal

JUNCTION CITY — Voices are singing again at the C.L. Hoover Opera House.

The historic downtown theater, which reopened its doors in October after a $5.8 million renovation, has once again become a thriving arts center in downtown Junction City.

The theater has brought in Buddy Holly and Simon and Garfunkel tributes, comedy shows, an a cappella group and staged several productions by Junction City Little Theatre.

"We've offered diverse programming to see what people want," Tony Ballard, general manager, said. "We're doing some learning here in the first six months. The tribute stuff has gone over real well."

Ballard said the C.L. Hoover Opera House was built in 1882. The city's fire department was in the west side of the brick building, with its horses and fire wagon housed in the basement.

The police department was on the east side, with the jail in the basement. The city offices were on the second floor.

"The opera house was in the back," he said.

In 1898, fire engulfed the back of the building, and the opera house was destroyed. Ballard said it took nine months to replace the structure with locally quarried limestone.

The opera house continued to draw crowds until the 1930s, when motion pictures became popular, live theater fell out of favor and the Depression tied many purse strings.

The opera house served as a city warehouse before being converted into a modern movie theater in the 1940s. The movie theater operated for nearly 40 years before closing in 1982.

Ballard said a group of citizens spoke with city officials in 1982 about saving the opera house rather than knocking it down and using the property for a parking lot. He said the group "struggled for 20 years" to preserve the building and were able to replace its roofs and windows.

In 2002, he said, the city decided to move forward with the $5.8 million renovation project, which included the opera house and an adjoining office building. Tax credits for historic sites, private donations and city funding have paid for the renovation.

In 2003, the opera house was placed on the state historic register. Three years later, a five-block area that includes the opera house was added as well.

"We gutted the building and started from scratch," Jill Nelson, director of operations at the opera house, said of the work that began in 2007.

"Everything inside is new," Ballard added.

The opera house's vestibule opens to a box office and a reception hall with a 20-foot ceiling, walnut trim and tile floor. Farther inside is the theater, with 423 cushioned seats, a large balcony, state-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment, a 26- by 30-foot stage with trap doors and orchestra pit, and a movie projector and screen.

On the second level is a rehearsal room with mirrored walls that also is used for receptions, parties and meetings. Murals depicting the history of Junction City and the opera house that were painted by University of Kansas art students greet visitors on each floor.

The adjoining building now serves as storage and office space for the opera house. Exterior work included new windows and doors and repairing the clock tower.

"It's state-of-the-art inside and historic on the outside," Nelson said.

Ballard said the opera house, which has four employees, also will serve as the home of the Junction City Little Theatre and its productions.

Jan Biles can be reached at (785) 295-1292 or jan.biles@cjonline.com.