TCR’s grand reopening night crowd sings theater’s praises

By Diana Nollen

A twirling spotlight, a spiffy state-of-the-art marquee and at least one limo Friday night, Feb. 26, heralded the gala return of Theatre Cedar Rapids to its bigger and better home in the rejuvenated Iowa Theatre Building in downtown Cedar Rapids.

The little pep talk in my head about remaining professional during the celebration and opening of “The Producers” flew right out with my tears as we watched a moving 13-minute video before the start of the show, tracing the building's path from flood ruin to rebirth. Many people likened it to the images in the movie “Titanic,” showing the ship in its heyday and in its final resting place.

But stalwart TCR has been anything but resting since June 11-13, 2008. As the Cedar River's waters edged ever closer, volunteers immediately responded to a plea for help with sandbags. And as the waters receded, they returned to carry out muck-laden costumes, seats, equipment and stage floorboards.

Then the pros went to work reclaiming the building for the theater troupe and its patrons.

The results are breathtaking.

As 550 people in evening gowns and tuxedos gathered in the expanded lobby and the uptown Linge Lounge facing First Avenue, the laughter and chatter were broken by exclamations that this theater is now better than what you'll find in New York. Having been to eight of those theaters in May 2008, I have to agree.

Here are some of the comments from the glitterati gathered for Friday's festivities:

SARAH RICHARDSON of Mount Vernon, whose father, the late Horace “Fed” Hedges, was among those who revived the community theater after World War II:

“I'm just overwhelmed. We were so discouraged, but now we're happier than ever. ‘The Producers' for me is so fitting. It was my father's favorite movie – he made us watch it every year. It would have been his favorite play, too. It's very fitting and nice for the theater's reopening. I know he's here watching ‘The Producers.'”

Richardson, who has been onstage in such shows as “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Peter Pan,” also recalled her childhood association with the theater, beginning with the troupe's home in the former Strand Theatre.

“I was taken to the 12

^th

Avenue theater as a little girl while my father and his friends painted. And when we came here (to the Iowa Theatre Building at 102 Third St. SE), I was part of the first capital campaign fund drive and helped with this one, too.”

The Hedges Library, created in her father's memory, has been moved from its pre-flood home adjacent to the first floor staff offices to a new place of prominence on the Third Street side of the building.

“I helped with the new library,” she said. “It was fun to see it all come together. He would love it.”

SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY, R-Iowa

“It's beautiful,” he said of the renovations. “It's a tribute to the hard work of the community that put it together, and in a way that shows the public and private funding partnerships. It's a remarkable building for downtown Cedar Rapids.”

RICHARD BARKER of Cedar Rapids, former TCR executive director

After the show: “Isn't this something? Can you believe it? I loved the way it opened. It was great – just the way it should be.”

DOUG JACKSON of Cedar Rapids, star of such shows as “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Big River”

“It's so good to be back home. There's no place like home. They don't have this in New York!”

CASEY PRINCE of Cedar Rapids, TCR's managing director

After the show: “I'm really just trying to take it all in. It seems like it went off without a hitch. The show is amazing. I couldn't ask for a better night. To have a gargantuan crowd downtown, it's nice to be so happy when everyone had been so sad. I'm pinching myself.”