Civic Theater
533 Baronne Street,
New Orleans,
LA
70113
533 Baronne Street,
New Orleans,
LA
70113
1 person
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Built in 1906 for legitimate theater, it underwent a number of name changes until it became the Civic Theater 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
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Recent comments (view all 9 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.
Some pictures of the Poche/Civic Theater:
Entrance:
View link
From the stage:
View link
Stage entrance:
View link
This website:
View link
shows the facade of the former theater as it looks today.
Here’s a picture of the Civic showing West Side Story:
View link
Here is a December 2008 article about landmark designation:
http://tinyurl.com/a2dc2p
From the google street view, the auditorium building has no windows punched into the sides – perhaps some of the original interior still exists?
The theatre was originally named The Shubert, planned by the New York Shubert Brothers as the New Orleans branch of their nationwide chain of legitimate theatre outlets. Built by Equitable Real Estate Corporation, headed by Emilien Perrin, Sr. When the Shuberts decided to close it, Perrin took it over, renamed it The Lafayette, updated it with new moving picture equipment, projectors and screen. It was built in the then popular arcade style, with a covered walkway in between two retail stores facing Baronne Street, into the auditorium. The name was changed a number of times, from Lafayette to Star, to Poche, then finally to Civic.
Announcing a book about New Orleans Movie Theaters
THEREâ€\S ONE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
The History of the Neighborhood Theaters in New Orleans
is being written by 89-year-old Rene Brunet, the dean of the motion picture industry in Louisiana, and New Orleans historian and preservationist Jack Stewart. The 160-page,coffee table book will be released in November and is being published by Arthur Hardy Enterprises, Inc. Attention will be focused on 50 major neighborhood and downtown theaters, culled from a list of nearly 250 that have dotted the cityâ€\s landscape since the first “nickelodeon†opened in 1896 at 626 Canal Street. The book will be divided by neighborhoods and will open with a map and a narrative about each area. Each major theater will feature “then and now†photographs, historic information, and a short series of quotes from famous New Orleanians and from regular citizens who will share their recollections.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED
We are trying to acquire memorabilia and additional photos of this theater for this publication. (deadline July 1.) You will be credited in the book and receive a free autographed copy if we publish the picture that you supply. Please contact Arthur Hardy at or call 504-913-1563 if you can help.
Civic theatre is alive and well. It has not been turned into condos and you may be very well surprised to know it is more alive than you ever believed…..