Restoration of the Count Basie Theatre
Take Your Seat!
The Count Basie Theatre's Restoration and Improvement Project
The Count Basie Theatre first opened in 1926, in an age before the technological equipment and conveniences that are now required to stage performances. Keeping an 80-year-old building open is a daily challenge, and improving it is a monumental undertaking. The goal for the Count Basie Theatre's restoration and renovation is simple: to restore the theatre to its former glory.
Repair & Stabilization
Between 1995 and 2001 a series of phased projects to repair and stabilize the infrastructure of the building were conducted, resulting in, among other improvements:
- The restoration of the exterior façade, including a new marquee.
- Construction of a lighting and sound control booth in the rear of the auditorium.
- New roof and drainage systems.
- New fire alarm and security systems.
- The purchase of the building next door at 101 Monmouth Street, along with a new boiler for the building, to eventually incorporate it into the theatre and expand the theatre's front-of-house and backstage spaces.
- A building-wide computer network and a computerized ticketing system.
- Central air circulation in the administrative offices and rehearsal room.
Improvements & Restoration
Then in the summer of 2004, the very first improvements to the theatre were completed, resulting in, among other improvements:
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- Over 1,500 brand new historically accurate theatre seats.
- New house lighting fixtures.
- New auditorium carpeting.
- New walls in the balcony.
- Restoration of the balcony to its original 1926 configuration with improved sight lines.
- Elimination of the acoustically poor windows at the rear wall of the orchestra.
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In total, over $1 million was expended on theatre improvements in the summer of 2004, funded by the theatre's Take Your Seat campaign and a $1 for $1 matching grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts' Cultural Centers Capital Grant program.
Still To Come
These are just the first improvements of what will be a series of several phased projects that ultimately, over time, will result in a completely restored, renovated and expanded Count Basie Theatre. Future renovations will include:
- Repair and restore the auditorium's decorative plaster.
- A complete historically appropriate re-painting of the auditorium's interior.
- An expanded lobby with new and more bathrooms, and additional concession spaces.
- Backstage improvements to the stage rigging, lighting and sound to upgrade the theatre's ability to present the most modern and technically sophisticated performances.
For an example of what the theatre will ultimately look like, all you have to do is look at the organ loft grill to the right of the stage. In the summer of 2004 the decorative plaster of this one section of the auditorium's interior was fully restored and painted as an example of what is to come.
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Take Your Seat
at the Count Basie Theatre
& Help Preserve this Historic, Vibrant Theatre
It costs the Count Basie Theatre over $3 million a year to operate, and because the theatre operates on a nonprofit basis, the theatre must fundraise over 25% of its annual operating budget. The cost of capital restorations and improvements to the building are on top of that amount. The Take Your Seat Campaign was created in 2003 to fund these projects. Over 130 donors have contributed to the campaign already, in amounts from $500 to more than $50,000 each. Every donation is acknowledged with a permanent plaque on the arm of a seat of the donor's choice (depending on availability) in the theatre.
The continuing restoration and improvement of the theatre is the cornerstone of a major investment in the Count Basie Theatre's leadership in the cultural and civic community of the Monmouth-Ocean-Middlesex County area.
We invite you, your company, or your group, to take a seat!
- Each seat you adopt will display a plaque on its arm, engraved with your personal
inscription. This is a great opportunity to honor your family, remember a loved one, or promote your business.
- Your donation is 100% tax deductible, and a special matching grant from the New
Jersey State Council on the Arts will match $1 for $1 your contribution to the Take
Your Seat Campaign.
- You can make a pledge now and spread out your payments over the next two years.
- All donors will receive a unique Take Your Seat lapel pin, so you can show your
support of the advancement of the Count Basie Theatre and the arts in Red Bank.
If you have any questions about the Take Your Seat campaign or need more information, please contact the Development office at 732-224-8778 ext. 109. We sincerely hope that you will join our campaign and Take Your Seat as we begin to jazz up the Basie!
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