The Latest on the Eastman Theatre and
School Renovation Project
- The Latest News
- Background At-a-Glance
- Image Gallery (Floor Plans and Theatre Photos)
- Image Gallery (Construction Photos)
- Recent Press Releases
- Past Press Releases
- Giving Opportunities
The Latest News
Eastman School Celebrates “Topping Out” (links to online story)
WXXI, May 28, 2009
Eastman Theatre celebrates construction milestone (links to online story)
Rochester Business Journal, May 28, 2009
Eastman Expanding (links to online story)
13 WHAM TV, May 12, 2009
Show will go on for local theater projects (opens as PDF)
Democrat and Chronicle, March 14, 2009
Eastman Project Now at $46.5M (opens as PDF)
Democrat and Chronicle, March 11, 2009
Eastman Theatre Project Hits a Delay (opens as PDF)
Rochester Business Journal, March 6, 2009
Expansion on key for Eastman Theatre (opens as PDF)
Rochester Business Journal, November 7, 2008
Eastman Theatre in Panorama (requires flash)
Democrat & Chronicle Panorama, November 2008
Background At-a-Glance
Opened in 1922, the Eastman Theatre was built by Eastman Kodak Company founder George Eastman as a center for music, dance, and silent film with live orchestral accompaniment—“for the enrichment of community life,” as inscribed on the façade. Its rich history includes performances by the greatest musicians of our time, including Igor Stravinsky, Leonard Bernstein, Beverly Sills, Louis Armstrong, George Gershwin, and Renée Fleming, a Rochester native and Eastman School graduate.
In 2004, the first phase of a major renovation project to the Eastman Theatre was completed to replace the stage and improve acoustics for concerts, opera, and other performances.
In 2007, plans were announced for additional renovations to the theatre and the construction of a new building for teaching and performance spaces. Highlights in the theatre include reducing the number of seats to allow wider aisles, the addition of box seats, and the expansion of the lobby. The new building, adjacent and connected to the theatre, will feature a 200-seat recital hall, faculty teaching studios, a rehearsal room, a recording studio, and an atrium.
Image Gallery
Floor Plans and Theatre Photos, Updated May 12, 2009
Construction Photos, Updated May 26, 2009
Recent Press Releases
May 22, 2008
April 11, 2008
January 9, 2008
September 10, 2007
March 16, 2007
$8 Million State Grant Jump-Starts Next Phase of Renovations for Historic Eastman Theatre
Past Press Releases
September 20, 2004
July 1, 2004
February 9, 2004
February 14, 2003
Major Renovation of Theatre Stage Announced