Carson City’s Bob Boldrick Theater being refurbished

The Bob Boldrick Theater is starting 2019 off with a bold, new look.

The theater inside the Carson City Community Center is empty now, its much-worn seats removed and ’70s-era orange carpeting and acoustic panels stripped off the walls. The walls are now being repainted, the concrete floors stained, and soon equipped with rows of new and bigger seats.

“The majority (of seats) will be 23 inches from center armrest to center armrest,” said Eric Klug, Community Center program manager.

That is three to five inches wider than the decades-old seats they’re replacing. In all, 767 old seats will be swapped out for 587 larger seats, a half dozen equipped with an arm that swings out for patrons who want to transfer from wheelchair to seat.

The two wheelchair areas near the theater doors are being expanded to accommodate four wheelchairs and four companions on either side. The wheelchair seating near the stage remains unchanged, providing accessible seating at all ticket price points, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, said Klug.

The new seats have natural wood armrests and the aisle seats have end-caps in a laminate that matches the wood. The fabric upholstery is dark gray with some tan accents.

The concrete floor underneath the seats is being patched and stained black, while the ceiling is being painted a light gray, the upper walls a medium gray, and the walls from seven feet to the floor lined with a charcoal carpet as an acoustic treatment.

The carpeting along the theater’s four aisles remains, but with triple the floor lighting from before.

“Right now every third seat has lighting,” said Klug. “Every end cap on every aisle will have lighting. It’s at least three times more lighting.”

And the walls on either side of the theater are being equipped with hand rails.

The Dube Group, Reno, designed the project. Navetta Theater Seating was awarded a $222,406.80 contract for the seats, and K7 Construction Inc., a $232,028 contract for the work. The project is coming in under budget so additional money has been allocated to hire a consultant to conduct an ADA-compliance study. The 50-year old theater is grandfathered in to old code, but any structural changes to be done in future projects would trigger a requirement to bring it up to date with current ADA guidelines.

The grand opening will take place over two days. On Feb. 12, the Carson City Chamber of Commerce is hosting a black-tie optional, $50 ticket fundraiser to raise money for a new entry curtain and chandeliers for the theater. The event will feature champagne and food from local restaurants and special performances by the Western Nevada Musical Theatre Company and SierraCapella. Information will be available at the Chamber web site, www.carsoncitychamber.com, or by calling 775-882-1565.

The following evening the city will open up the theater to the public with an hour or so variety program to entertain people as they get a first look at the theater makeover.