{"id":191102,"date":"2022-02-24T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-24T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitbuffaloniagara.com\/?p=191102"},"modified":"2024-08-02T11:19:36","modified_gmt":"2024-08-02T15:19:36","slug":"buffalo-architectural-spotlight-sheas-performing-arts-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitbuffaloniagara.com\/buffalo-architectural-spotlight-sheas-performing-arts-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Buffalo Architectural Spotlight: Shea’s Performing Arts Center"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The magnificent structure that is Shea\u2019s Performing Arts Center<\/a> (originally called Shea\u2019s Buffalo) opened in 1926 on Buffalo\u2019s bustling Main Street. It\u2019s had its ups and downs, but now with loving dedication, the theater and event space has been restored as closely as possible to its original glory, and serves as a touchstone for downtown\u2019s exciting revitalization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The building was commissioned by impresario Michael Shea and designed by the Rapp brothers from Chicago, who specialized in grand movie houses of the day, with interiors by the renowned Art Nouveau designer and artist Louis Comfort Tiffany. Lush European baroque style d\u00e9cor and architectural elements include domed ceilings, intricate chandeliers and wall sconces, and fantastical hand-painted, carved and molded proscenium and elements throughout the huge theater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a few decades, it fell into disrepair and economic woes. To ensure that it could not be demolished, a non-profit group, Friends of Shea\u2019s, rallied to get the building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Such listings require that any work done must be in keeping with its original design standards, if not directly replicating them. By the mid-1990s, serious efforts were underway to restore its grandeur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cRestore\u201d is the operative word; the theatre, which is a favorite stop for touring Broadway shows and is an elegant setting for events and concerts, has neither been renovated nor remodeled. The goal is to restore<\/em> the things that needed it (most everything) while updating only the things required for functionality, safety or to accommodate the change in usage from a movie house to a large-scale performance theater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of the work\u2014except for where prohibited by insurance or necessitating a professional\u2014has been done by volunteers. Shea\u2019s meticulously recreated and reinstalled the grand drape; hand-brushed every inch of the thousands of square feet of intricate decorative painting; updated the electrical system and wiring; refinished, repainted and recovered original furniture and scoured the earth for just the right (woven not tufted) carpets to complement those luscious red walls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historian\/historic art expert Doris Collins has overseen the project; she\u2019s been consulting with Shea\u2019s for over 20 years, and has attended to every detail with meticulous attention. (She personally carried a piece of fabric to her native Austria to source a vendor to replicate it.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@visitbuffaloniagara<\/a>

Video and photos can\u2019t do Shea\u2019s justice. You have to see this beautiful theatre in person. \ud83d\ude0d #buffalony<\/a> #theatrekid<\/a> #theatre<\/a> #musical<\/a><\/p> \u266c Roxie (Album Version) – Ren\u00e9e Zellweger<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote>