Powers Auditorium

Powers Auditorium is a historic concert hall and performing arts venue in downtown Youngstown, Ohio. It is the largest and principal auditorium within the DeYor Performing Arts Center, a complex that also includes the Adler Art Academy, Beecher Flad Pavilion, and Ford Family Recital Hall. The venue accommodates approximately 2,303 people and serves as the principal home of the Youngstown Symphony, whose regular season generally runs from October through May. The building began life as the Warner Theatre, opening on May 14, 1931. Designed by the theater-architecture firm Rapp and Rapp, it was developed as part of the large theater circuit operated by Warner Brothers. Its construction also carried a local memorial purpose: the theater honored Sam Warner, one of the Warner brothers, who had lived in Youngstown with his siblings before the family entered the motion-picture business. As originally conceived, the building was a movie palace associated with the Golden Age of cinema rather than a dedicated concert venue. The Warner Theatre continued operating until 1968, when demolition was proposed to clear the site for a parking lot. A public campaign and local opposition helped prevent that outcome. The Edward W. Powers family contributed $250,000 toward preservation, allowing the structure to be retained and extensively renovated. The interior was adapted for musical performance, including major acoustic work. Some original furnishings and fixtures were sold at auction during the transition, while the auditorium itself was reshaped to function effectively as a concert hall. The renovated venue reopened under the name Powers Auditorium in September 1969, with the Youngstown Symphony appearing at the renaming performance. The new identity recognized the Powers family's preservation contribution and marked the building's change from a commercial cinema into a civic cultural institution. Its Art Deco exterior remains an important part of the building's historic character, and the facade has subsequently been restored toward its original appearance. The property is listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places. In addition to symphonic performances, Powers Auditorium presents touring musical and Broadway productions, other musical acts, and locally produced theater. Ballet Western Reserve and Easy Street Productions are among the local performing-arts organizations associated with programming at the venue. The auditorium is therefore used across several formats rather than being limited to orchestral concerts. The facility has also been expanded to support the wider DeYor complex. A new East Wing completed in 2000 added a music library, administrative offices, an elevator, and accessibility-related equipment. Later development of the Beecher Flad Pavilion added the 600-seat Ford Family Recital Hall, kitchen facilities, dressing rooms, expanded loading docks, and soundproofing intended to permit simultaneous use of the main auditorium and the newer performance space. Powers Auditorium consequently operates both as a historic landmark and as part of a modern, multi-venue performing-arts center.

Powers Auditorium was constructed as the Warner Theatre and opened in Youngstown on May 14, 1931. The building was designed by Rapp and Rapp, a prominent American theater-architecture firm, for the Warner Brothers theater chain. Its name and memorial purpose reflected the connection of Sam Warner and his brothers to Youngstown before their rise in the film industry. The original venue was a movie palace serving the commercial cinema business. The theater remained in operation through the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and much of the 1960s. In 1968, it was scheduled for demolition so that the property could be converted into a parking lot. The proposed loss of the building generated public opposition. The Edward W. Powers family provided $250,000 to support preservation, making it possible to retain and renovate the structure. The renovation changed the building's principal function. Although elements of the former movie palace were auctioned, the auditorium received extensive acoustic improvements so that it could serve as a concert venue. In September 1969, it was reopened and renamed Powers Auditorium. The Youngstown Symphony performed at the reopening, establishing the orchestra as the venue's principal tenant and connecting the preserved building with Youngstown's continuing cultural life. The auditorium subsequently became the main venue of the DeYor Performing Arts Center. Its programming broadened beyond orchestral music to include touring musical and Broadway productions, other musical acts, and locally produced theater. Ballet Western Reserve and Easy Street Productions are among the local organizations using the facility for performances. The building has retained the character of its Art Deco exterior and has been included on the National Register of Historic Places. A restoration project returned the facade toward its original appearance. In 2000, an East Wing expanded the complex with a music library, offices, an elevator, and equipment supporting accessibility. Further development created the Beecher Flad Pavilion and Ford Family Recital Hall, adding a smaller performance space, support facilities, dressing rooms, loading capacity, and acoustic separation. These improvements enabled the main auditorium and the newer hall to operate at the same time while preserving Powers Auditorium's role as the centerpiece of the complex.

• 2000

  East Wing completed

  [1]Powers Auditoriumen.wikipedia.org

  An East Wing adds a music library, administrative offices, an elevator, and equipment supporting accessibility improvements.

• 1969

  Reopens as Powers Auditorium

  [1]Powers Auditoriumen.wikipedia.org

  After renovation and acoustic conversion for concert use, the building is renamed Powers Auditorium and reopens with a Youngstown Symphony performance.

• 1968

  Demolition proposal prompts preservation effort

  [1]Powers Auditoriumen.wikipedia.org

  The former theater is slated for demolition to make way for a parking lot, but public opposition and a $250,000 contribution from the Edward W. Powers family support its preservation.

• 1931

  Warner Theatre opens

  [1]Powers Auditoriumen.wikipedia.org

  The building opens on May 14 as the Warner Theatre, a Warner Brothers movie palace designed by Rapp and Rapp and dedicated in part to the memory of Sam Warner.

Historic civic concert hall and multi-purpose performing-arts venue

• Concert hall · 1969

  Main auditorium

  The principal performance space of the DeYor Performing Arts Center, with a capacity of approximately 2,303. It was acoustically renovated after the building's conversion from a movie theater and is used for symphonic concerts, touring acts, Broadway productions, and locally produced theater.

• Orchestral performance series

  Youngstown Symphony season

  The regular concert activity of the Youngstown Symphony is the auditorium's core recurring use. The orchestra generally performs at the venue from October through May, making Powers Auditorium a central institutional home for symphonic music in the Youngstown area.

• Live entertainment programming

  Touring and local performing arts

  Beyond orchestral programming, the venue accommodates touring musical acts, Broadway productions, and theater made by local companies. Its programming relationships include Ballet Western Reserve and Easy Street Productions, allowing the historic auditorium to support music, musical theater, dance, and dramatic performance.

• 1968

  Preserve and convert the former Warner TheatreStrategy

  Background

  The Warner Theatre was threatened with demolition for a proposed parking lot, while community opposition favored retaining the historic building.

  Action taken

  The Edward W. Powers family funded the preservation effort with a $250,000 contribution, and the building was renovated and acoustically adapted for concert presentation.

  Aftermath

  The venue reopened in 1969 as Powers Auditorium and became a principal Youngstown performing-arts institution rather than being demolished.

  Source

1. 1Powers Auditoriumen.wikipedia.org