Civic Theater

New Orleans, LA

533 Baronne Street

, New Orleans, LA 70113 United States

(map)

Status:	Closed
Screens:	Single Screen
Style:	Beaux-Arts

Function:	Housing
Seats:	1000
Chain:	Unknown

Architect:	Sam Stone
Firm:	Unknown

Built in 1906 for legitimate theater, it underwent a number of name changes until it became the Civic in 1951. I was never inside, but it always looked to me to have been one of those alley-jumper theaters where the entrance is on a main street but the auditorium was built across from the building housing the entrance, connected to it by a tunnel or bridgeway.

It apparently closed in the late 1960's and sat vacant for many years until it was it was converted to loft/warehouse units just a few years ago. Its vertical sign was restored when the conversion took place.

Contributed by Chris Walczak

YOUR COMMENTS

The Civic was originally buit as the Schubert. The auditorium contained a balcony and a gallery as well as the ochestra floor. The stage was flanked by rectangular boxes on either side. The plaster decoration was Beaux-Art; Sam Stone was the architect. The sign mentioned above originally said "Poche". A contest was held to rename the theatre using the same number of letters; "Civic" won.
In the late fifties and early sixties the theatre hosted some large road show presentations - BEN HUR and WEST SIDE STORY in particular.
In the late seventies it was turned into the CIVIC DISCO. When that came to an end, the building sat vacant. The current conversion is completly inappropriate to the original structure and a sad abuse of the historic tax credit system.

posted by jazzland on Jul 25, 2007 at 6:59am

Some pictures of the Poche/Civic Theater:
Entrance:
http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/CLF&CISOPTR=9074&CISOBOX=1&REC=19
From the stage:
http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/CLF&CISOPTR=6943&CISOBOX=1&REC=20
Stage entrance:
http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/CLF&CISOPTR=9067&CISOBOX=1&REC=18

posted by CWalczak on May 19, 2008 at 12:40pm

This website:

http://www.bestofneworleans.com/dispatch/2007-07-03/blake.php

shows the facade of the former theater as it looks today.

posted by CWalczak on May 21, 2008 at 8:53am

Here's a picture of the Civic showing West Side Story:
http://louisdl.louislibraries.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=%2FCLF&CISOPTR=6583&DMSCALE=25&DMWIDTH=600&DMHEIGHT=600&DMMODE=viewer&DMFULL=0&DMX=300&DMY=269&DMTEXT=%2520mintz&DMTHUMB=1&REC=3&DMROTATE=0&x=135&y=335

posted by drive-in mike on May 23, 2008 at 3:37pm

Here is a December 2008 article about landmark designation:
http://tinyurl.com/a2dc2p

posted by ken mc on Jan 23, 2009 at 10:58am

Note: Please read our comment policy before posting. Comments which are off-topic, obscene, spam, or personal attacks will be removed. Help us keep the discussion productive!

Search

Theater Guide

Add Your Cinema Treasure!

Newest Theaters

Recent Comments

Updated Theaters

Civic Theater

YOUR COMMENTS

Notify me when someone replies to my comment?