NEWS RELEASE
ORILLIA OPERA HOUSE
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The Orillia Opera House continues to offer the best of both worlds – a commitment to a heritage look and feel, alongside the service and amenities of modern technology.
Slate roof updates to the city’s historic Orillia Opera House keep the traditional look of the building, while recent interior updates have enhanced the venue’s technology to offer livestream virtual performances.
“The Orillia Opera House is one of Orillia’s greatest historical landmarks and continues to be a source of pride for the community and a calling card for visitors from abroad. Equipping the theatre with video streaming technology and updates to the exterior of the Opera House will help keep this premier facility current, while maintaining its historic integrity, as we continue to work towards post-pandemic recovery efforts for our community,” said Mayor Steve Clarke.
Construction work began this week to replace the roof at the Opera House. Scaffolding has been installed and will remain in place during the construction period, but access to the Box Office and Visitor Information Services and entrance will not be impacted. It is anticipated the work will take two months to complete.
The theatre roof renovations are part of the ongoing Orillia Opera House Conservation Plan to maintain the historic presence of the building by installing heritage slate roof tiles and adding structural support, which will help enhance the theatre’s presence and make it more reminiscent of the original style mirrored in the two turrets repaired in 2014.
In addition to exterior improvements, through the 2021 budget process, Council invested in video streaming technology to support the Orillia Opera House’s delivery of virtual programming.
“'We don’t think live streaming of theatre is going anywhere after the pandemic is over and are now able to offer our clients an alternative to in-person events or a hybrid event where people can view online or in-person,” said Wendy Fairbairn, General Manager of the Orillia Opera House. “The response received to date with a return to live events has been resounding and we look forward to continuing to offer both types of events at the quality that has come to be expected at the Orillia Opera House.”
For more information on booking an event, the fall line-up and how to purchase tickets, visit orilliaoperahouse.ca.
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