It's been 84 years since the curtains first went up at The Columbia theatre and now the New Westminster icon is ready for its debut following a massive renovation.
"There's no words to say how excited we are to see this place up and running again," said Brad Tones, the theatre's executive coordinator. "It was the jewel of New Westminster in the '20s, '30s and '40s and it's kind of been lost for the last five or six years and we're absolutely ecstatic to see it back and running again in New West."
The Columbia has had many names, incarnations and owners over the years, which has seen it as a movie theatre and home to the Raymond Burr Performing Arts Society, but new owner Barry Buckland said the theatre is now ready for its long overdue renaissance.
Buckland can barely contain his glee while showcasing all the changes made during the 2011 renovation.
"It was completely gutted, right from ceiling to floors," Buckland said on a tour of the theatre.
The lobby has been redone to have the same art deco glamour it had in the in 1920s. Ornate gold trim lines the walls and the ceiling is now a painted sky fresco to give it the impression of being higher.
"We've gone back to the roaring '40s of carpet. It's like a Las Vegas style but brings it back to what it actually was back in the day," Buckland said.
Heading up the renovated stairway to Lafflines Comedy Club in the Baby Grand room, regulars will see more ornate trimming and columns. The 200-seat club itself has also been redone with a new stage, washrooms, bar, and special acoustic tiles on the ceiling to help keep the guffaws inside the club.
But Buckland is most impressed with the Grand room downstairs.
"It was actually theatre seating, we've changed it to cabaret seating so we can have a dinner show in here. It could be rented for corporate, multicultural functions, fundraisers, weddings - the list goes on," he said.
Where the ceiling had once been caving in, it is now soundproofed and looks brand new. The stage has been pushed back, allowing up to 300 people in the three tiers of cabaret seats. The ornately decorated wall flanking the stage has been restored to how they looked when the Columbia opened.
"We actually had the original drawings. The guy who did it lived in North Van and he actually did work on the Titanic," Buckland said.
Buckland said early reviews from people who have seen the inside have been all positive.
"We've seen people stop by and say, 'Oh I came here as a kid to see the theatre, can I take a quick look?' So we've been showing residents a little sneak peak of it and they are amazed at what they saw here," he said.
Tones agreed.
"People are blown away. They don't expect it," he said. "They expect kind of a quaint little theatre and they come in here and they see the space, they see the gold trimming. They see all this work we've put into it and they're just blown away."
All that's left now before The Columbia is restored to its place in the sun is the grand opening on Tuesday, Nov. 15, Buckland said.
"We've beautified back to as original as we could do. And now we're ready for opening," he said. "It's not just comedy. It's a variety show, which means there's going to be comedy, impersonators, magicians, circus (acts), tap dancing - a little bit of everything to show what we can do.
Entrance for the grand opening show is a minimum $20 donation to Comedy Courage, a non-profit society that gives people in treatment for depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other mental health diagnoses a free 12-week course in which they learn how to develop a standup bit about their recovery from mental illness, which helps them build confidence, self-esteem, and social skills.
For tickets, call 604-522-4500.
www.twitter.com/BrentRichter
