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Photo courtesy League of Historic American Theatres
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The Byrd Theatre balcony with its seats removed (Photo courtesy Byrd Theatre Foundation)
No buts about it — Americans are getting bigger. Richmond’s historic Byrd Theatre is making modern moviegoers more comfortable with its Pull up a Seat campaign, raising funds to replace all of its remaining original 19-inch seats with larger, cozier versions.
The average male in America weighs 60 more pounds today and is two inches taller than in 1928, when the theater first opened. The average American female weighs 50 more pounds and is a half-inch taller. Historic spots like The Byrd have struggled with the change for years.
“Some of our seats have not been replaced since 1928, and they’re pretty worn and with a lot of springs,” says Ben Cronly, executive director of The Byrd Theatre Foundation. “In anticipation of our 100th anniversary, we’re working on a historic restoration to get the theater back to what it looked like in 1928, while making seats larger and with more legroom.”
While the theater installed new center seats in 2017, all remaining original seats in the balcony and orchestra-level side sections will be replaced as part of the current campaign. They’ll ultimately be covered with printed fabric similar to the original style but will feature a standard red material in the meantime. Larger seats will bring down the theater’s capacity from 1,200 to just over 900.
“Thanks to a generous donation by our foundation board director, Martin Davenport, we can complete the balcony seats by late March,” Cronly says.
Cronly hopes that, with additional funding, all seats in the side sections can be replaced by May. As of press time, he says they’re short $85,000 of the $600,000 campaign goal.
The Byrd Theatre Foundation is working with several local vendors on the project, including general contractor Daniel & Company, Harris Electric Co. of VA, Junk Shuttle and Delta Graphic. Midwest-based Irwin Seating Company will be building the new seats and end-aisle standards to match the original look of the auditorium as much as possible. The plan is to recycle any scrap metal left over from the old seats.
Additional updates planned for the theater include restoring the original paint colors and installing a vertical marquee reminiscent of the iconic 1970s sign. New carpeting will also be installed to match the theater’s original pattern.
When it opened in 1928, the French Empire-style theater was one of the most opulent in the South, with luxury finishes and the latest technology. The Byrd Theatre cost $900,000 to build — the equivalent of $13 million today. Unique architectural features remain, including intricate moldings and carvings, gilded bronze accents, elaborate murals, and Moroccan Rouge Flame marble. The Byrd Theatre is one of the country’s only remaining historic venues that has operated almost continuously as a movie theater. Its first film played on Christmas Eve in 1928 and cost 25 cents for the matinee and 50 cents for the evening movie.
The movie palace remains a popular venue, offering cult classic films, holiday movies and second-run box-office hits. The theater is also home to the Richmond International Film Festival in September.
“I’ve heard so many wonderful stories of people’s first time coming into the theater as little kids with their grandparents,” Cronly says. “It’s unbelievable the following we have.”
The balcony section of The Byrd Theatre is next to receive a seat overhaul, estimated to be completed by the end of March. The Pull up a Seat campaign is raising funds to replace all of the remaining original seats. To donate, visit byrdtheatre.org/support.
