Louis Armstrong Park is a 32-acre (130,000 m ) park located in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans , Louisiana , just across Rampart Street from the French Quarter .
19-760: The Mahalia Jackson Theater of the Performing Arts is a theater located in Louis Armstrong Park in New Orleans , Louisiana . It was named after gospel singer Mahalia Jackson , who was born in New Orleans. The theater reopened in January 2009, after being closed since the landfall of Hurricane Katrina (August 29, 2005). It serves as the long-term residence of the New Orleans Ballet Association ,
38-426: A new hydraulic floor that can be lifted and lowered to create sloped or flat footing, which allows it to accommodate concerts and events. Additionally, the upgrade included an expanded marble lobby, enlarged seating, additional bathrooms, multiple bars. George and his investment company, ERG Enterprises, completed a subsequent renovation in 2020 by opening a speakeasy bar in the basement of the theater. The venue, called
57-542: A range of other shows. In 1983, the Orpheum was scheduled for demolition but was acquired by the New Orleans Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, and underwent a $ 3 million renovation. It served as the orchestra's home theater until the orchestra's financial demise in 1991. Under new ownership, the Orpheum became the home of the newly formed Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO), whose musicians prized
76-564: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Orpheum Theater (New Orleans, Louisiana) The Orpheum Theater is a theater in the Central Business District of New Orleans , Louisiana . Also known as the RKO Orpheum, it was designed by G. Albert Lansburgh , built in 1918, and opened for vaudeville in 1921. The Beaux Arts style building has 1,500 seats, and went on to host silent movies, “talkies,” live music and
95-672: The New Orleans Opera Association and the New Orleans Ballet Association and held occasional performances by the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra and other groups. It was also the home of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra for about ten years, before the orchestra moved to the Orpheum Theater . Diana Ross played a three-night, sold-out engagement at the theater in 1996. It was deemed one of
114-558: The New Orleans Opera Association , and the Broadway Across America touring productions. The 2,100-seat Mahalia Jackson Theater first opened in January 1973, with a performance of Giuseppe Verdi 's Messa da Requiem , starring New Orleans native Norman Treigle and the New Orleans Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Werner Torkanowsky . Before Hurricane Katrina , it was the home of
133-564: The 2009–10 season. Shows featured were Cats , The Color Purple , Mamma Mia! , Wicked , and Avenue Q . Broadway shows toured here while the Saenger Theatre , State Palace Theatre , and the Orpheum Theater were undergoing major renovations due to Hurricane Katrina . On March 16, the 2010-11 Broadway Across America season was announced. Shows included were: Cirque Dreams Illumination , RAIN , Spamalot , West Side Story , and Shrek . The Color Purple also returned to
152-555: 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 the Federal Emergency Management Agency , and a $ 500,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation . About a week of events from January 8 through January 17, 2009, celebrated
171-643: The auditorium for its acoustical purity. The theater is an example of "vertical hall" construction, initially built to provide perfect sight lines and acoustics for vaudeville shows which did not have the benefit of amplifiers or modern lighting. The Orpheum Theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It was also included in the NRHP listing of the New Orleans Lower Central Business District in 1991. The theater
190-735: The larger space of New Orleans Fairgrounds , Armstrong Park has more recently been the home of many other events, including the "Jazz in the Park" free concert series, the Treme Creole Gumbo Fest, and the Louisiana Cajun & Zydeco Festival. Monuments include a 12-foot statue of Louis Armstrong. by Elizabeth Catlett , a bust of Sidney Bechet , and a depiction of Buddy Bolden . 29°57′45″N 90°04′02″W / 29.962378°N 90.06716°W / 29.962378; -90.06716 This New Orleans , Louisiana –related article
209-478: 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. 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. Following Katrina, repairs and upgrades were made including
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#1732851366165228-475: The park immediately in front of the New Orleans Municipal Auditorium is the site of Congo Square , formerly known as Beauregard Square, famous for its role in the history of African American music and spiritual practice. Some elements of the park's design have been subject to critique throughout the years. Residents of the adjacent Tremé and French Quarter neighborhoods have called for
247-598: The present-day park from that land. This park was designed by New Orleans architect Robin Riley and was named after New Orleans-born Jazz legend Louis Armstrong . The footprint of the present-day park contains the New Orleans Municipal Auditorium , the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts and several buildings owned by the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park . The portion of
266-439: The removal of the large fence that separates the park from surrounding areas and for incorporating the large concrete parking lots in the rear of the park into the park's greenspace The presence of these parking lots are often attributed to high rates of subsidence and flooding along N. Villere Street . Louis Armstrong Park was home to the first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 1970. While that festival has moved to
285-554: The reopening of the theater, including a free performance by Kermit Ruffins , Irma Thomas , and Marva Wright as well as paid performances by Allen Toussaint , Yolanda Adams , the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra with Itzhak Perlman , New Orleans Ballet Association with members of the San Francisco and New York City Ballets , and the New Orleans Opera Association with Plácido Domingo . Mahalia Jackson Theater
304-468: The theater as a special, due to popular demand. On May 4, 2010 Storytime Live! was added to the 2009-2010 season, with dates set for July 23–25. The national tour of The Addams Family in September 2011 was the first Broadway musical to take advantage of the incentive programs offered by Louisiana Entertainment , the state's comprehensive entertainment industry development office. The 2011–2012 season
323-500: Was announced on March 14, 2011. The Lion King , which was originally set to have its Louisiana debut at the Saenger Theatre in spring 2012, played instead at the Mahalia Jackson Theater. Louis Armstrong Park In the 1960s a controversial urban renewal project leveled a substantial portion of the Tremé neighborhood adjacent to Congo Square . After a decade of debate, the City created
342-490: Was severely damaged in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina and the associated levee failure floodwaters and was sold to a Dallas businessman. It was then sold to Axiom Global Properties in 2011 (formerly Orpheum Properties, Inc.). Neither of these owners succeeded in restoring the theater to commerce. The theater was purchased in February 2014 by Dr. Eric George , who completed a $ 13 million renovation. Renovations included installing
361-408: Was the first of the major theaters in New Orleans to reopen after Hurricane Katrina. City officials hoped the theater would help draw tourists to the city. In 2013 the theater hosted the 2012 NFL Honors , honoring the best National Football League players and performances. On June 25, 2009, Broadway Across America and Mayor Ray Nagin announced that touring shows would return to the theater for
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