Day 215 – Empty House

14

August 2, 2016 – Empty seats at the Vancouver Orpheum Theatre….just waiting for an audience to fill them.

We did, well, a few of them, for a short period.

Today was a rainy day and Kirk remembered something I’d posted on Facebook a while back; that the Orpheum Theatre has opened its doors for tours three mornings a week. Ninety minutes with a volunteer from the Theatre staff, exploring the theatre from the basement to the rafters above the dome. How cool was “this” going to be!?!

Admission is by donation, the expectation is $10 per person, and it was well worth it.

My uncle was the Director of the Vancouver Theatres for a number of years, and we’ve patronized them well. Big performances, small plays at the Vancouver Playhouse, concerts, comedy performances, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. The theatres in Vancouver are a treasure.

But a chance to go inside and behind the curtains?

Easy decision.

We learned how the theatre was built, surprisingly not at all what we thought. We learned how the old organ is raised and lowered on hydraulics, and how during intermissions back in the day, the organ would sink down into its 50 foot chamber because when everyone went to the washroom the water pressure in the building would reduce the hydraulic pressure to the point where the organ couldn’t be suspended at the stage level until everyone was back in their seats.

We climbed (and descended) stairs, crouched to go under air ducts, went through old doors into the 90 year old air conditioning area, a system similar to that which I’d seen in Brazil and the Amazonas Theatre in Manaus. A silent air conditioning system that used air pressure to remove heated air at the ceiling and channel it to the basement, where it was passed over huge blocks of ice before being funnelled out through small flat bells under the seats of the house.

We visited the original film projection room and learned about how the film was projected and how the space was now used to project spotlights on performers on stage. We climbed up into the space above the painted dome and saw the suspension wires holding it up….almost all original, the same cables as were placed there 90 years ago. We learned how they “tuned” the suspension wires to ensure they were even, and that it was so well built that during seismic upgrades, they barely had to do anything. They built things well 90 years ago!

I love the old crystal chandeliers, the wall sconces, interesting old lights, with unfortunately bright LED bulbs having replaced the original softer incandescent ones. There were neat old brass doorknobs, some shaped like palm trees, and wonderful old exit signs, elaborate brass plaques with elegant old lettering.

It was a wonderful way to spend some time as a tourist in our own city for a change. We spend so much time looking farther afield for things to do, excitement to be had….if we only looked a little closer to home, it’s amazing what there is to be found.

It’s funny how we do these sorts of things whenever we travel to another place, but we forget to do them at home. It’s a mistake we are trying to remedy.

This was a good start.

Next up? The Weird and Wacky Vancouver Public Library Tour later in the month.