Milwaukee Symphony acquires Warner Grand
New concert home will likely open in 2020 after extensive renovations
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra has completed its acquisition of the Warner Grand Theatre at 212 W. Wisconsin Ave. to serve as the symphony’s new concert home, and has pushed back its projected debut there to fall 2020 to accommodate the complex project of renovating it.
The symphony also announced Friday that it has received State of Wisconsin approval for more than $8 million in historic tax credits and recently received conditional approval for federal historic tax credits.
To date, the MSO has raised $93.5 million of the $120 million it believes necessary to convert the building into a venue seating 1,750 concert-goers, said Mark Niehaus, MSO president.
The MSO previously had planned a fall 2019 opening. Moving the opening to 2020 not only creates breathing room in the timeline but also will likely save money on construction by eliminating overtime and other hurry-up costs, Niehaus said.
The renovation project includes moving the theater’s terra cotta rear wall about 30 feet to make room for a larger stage. Moving rather than replacing the wall is necessary to receive the historic tax credits.
Also, the project will integrate an
The symphony has received State of Wisconsin approval for more than $8 million in historic tax credits and recently received conditional approval for federal historic tax credits.
adjacent building that will serve as an expanded lobby and gathering place, among other functions.
In his statement announcing the acquisition, Niehaus said “we are immensely grateful to Steve and Greg Marcus and The Marcus Corporation for donating their ownership of the Warner Grand Theatre to the campaign.” He also praised the fundraising campaign leadership of David Uihlein, Julia Uihlein and the Bradley Foundation. The foundation has donated $15 million to the symphony over a five-year period for the project.
The MSO announced its plan to acquire the theater in December 2016, citing its desire to play more weeks, and more favorable weeks, in its primary venue, and schedule major guest artists further in advance.
At present, the symphony plays about 23 weeks a year in the Marcus Center’s Uihlein Hall, which is also used by the Milwaukee Ballet, the Florentine Opera, the Marcus’ Broadway series and other productions.
A concert hall of its own also could bring the symphony additional revenue from concessions and rentals.
In a previous interview, Niehaus noted that the symphony has eyed the Warner Grand Theatre as a possible home since at least 2000. An MSO trumpeter back then, Niehaus remembers the orchestra playing an acoustic test in the hall.
The Grand’s interior has many acoustic qualities that would make it a desirable concert hall, Niehaus said. It’s not a flat space and has interior architectural details that enhance musical sound. Also, Niehaus pointed out, the theater has an attractive high balcony.
Kahler Slater is leading the architectural project of transforming the building.
The theater was built in 1930 as a home for movies and vaudeville performances. It closed in 1995.
The MSO’s $120 million campaign goal includes $20 million for the symphony’s endowment, which Niehaus and the board have long considered inadequate to support an orchestra of the symphony’s size and quality.