After more than five months of renovation, the 90-year-old has reopened. An extensive facelift has taken place with all new seating in the orchestra section, new walls, and a completely remodeled lobby. “Every improvement we’ve made was to help make The Lyric a more comfortable and elegant facility,” said Executive Director John Loesser. “For those who know New York, we turned the Fillmore into Carnegie Hall.” The Lyric’s lobby has a brand new bar, full large glass doors at the entrances, more box office windows, and better lighting. “It’s like a new theater,” said Loesser “but it’s still The Lyric we all know and love. We have the same number of seats in the same locations; it will be the same intimate experience to enjoy a show, only with a look that will make you feel warm and comfortable.”

Construction began right after Memorial Day last summer after The Lyric’s Board of Directors had raised a substantial part of their $3 million dollar campaign to remodel and pay off all debt for the organization. Initially the improvements were estimated at around $1 million, but it was shortly discovered that it was necessary to repair some of the old structure which lead to some significant additional costs. “We needed to make sure our Lyric would be standing for another 90 years, so we didn’t hesitate to strengthen the bones when we had the chance, even though it would cost us a great deal more money.” said Ethel Christin, president of The Lyric Theatre’s board. “We believe our donors will be there for us when they see what we’ve accomplished.”

Besides cosmetic improvements, The Lyric added a new line array sound system, a digital sound board, and a 9-foot concert Steinway piano. “We now also have a new logo for The Lyric, a treble clef design representing the ‘L’ for The Lyric and the music it brings,” Loesser said. “With all that we’ve done and all the hard work so many people have put into this, we are convinced our community now has the elegant concert venue it deserves and will be proud to have for the future.”

The Lyric began its new life beginning Nov. 11 with a grand reopening for its donors. The first performance in the renovated theatre took place Nov. 14 with the opening of Lorrianna Colozzo’s “A Night at the Opera.”

To see The Lyric’s lineup this season, visit http://www.lyrictheatre.com/upcoming