Clients Comments

“Reputation is the Single Most Important Thing…”

                                                                Killis P. Almond, FAIA, RID

 Majestic Theatre – Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

"Believe the hype.

The long-awaited grand reopening of the Gettysburg’s downtown Majestic Theatre did not disappoint a capacity opening gala audience Monday night.On the 80^th anniversary of the theatre’s original opening, the transformation of the Majestic – from a small town movie theater to a performing and cultural arts center – left many, including those directly involved with the gala, speechless."

Scot A. Pitzer, Gettysburg Times – November 2005

"It’s glorious.  This is one of the few theatres in the world where the backstage is as good as the front.”

Tony Award-winning Broadway legend Elaine Stritch

"The College, the community, and special guests celebrated the reopening of the Majestic Theatre on its 80^th birthday.  A fitting celebration for a $16-million restoration project that returns the ornate 850-seat theatre to its former glory and advances it to a world-class performing arts center."

Gettysburg Magazine, Winter 2006

Wednesday, July 19, 2006, 5:04 pm

 By Jay Handelman

Renovation team assembled Killis Almond will oversee a team of consultants responsible for the renovations to the historic Sarasota Opera House. (Herald-Tribune Archive / 2006)

 Opera renovation taking shape

 The long-planned renovations to the historic Sarasota Opera House will begin in a few months, and the company has signed on two new consultants to help with the final design and construction plans.

Duane Schuler and Todd Hensley, partners in the theater consulting firm Schuler Shook, will focus on backstage systems such as lighting, and help with the configuration of new theater seats for the best views.

Acoustical consultant Russell Cooper of Jaffe Holden Acoustics will help determine the best layout for the enlarged orchestra pit. Opera spokesman Richard Russell said Cooper will be responsible for determining the best way to place the musicians and how much of the orchestra pit should be under the stage and how much should extend into the audience.

Historical theater architect Killis Almond continues to oversee the project.  Russell said the opera’s administrative offices will probably move out of the building by the end of August for preliminary work. That third-floor space will become a lounge when the building is finished.

The company has received about $32 million in donations since it announced its "Building on the Vision" campaign in March. The goal is $60 million, with about $20 earmarked for building renovations.