After $7.5 million facelift, Jefferson Theater to rock on Friday

About the only thing Moe, Curly, Larry, Harry Houdini and The Sons of Bill have in common is the Jefferson Theater on the Downtown Mall.

The Sons of Bill, a local band with a national following, and Alabama boy Jason Isbell and his band The 400 Unit kick off the Jefferson Theater’s inaugural performance Friday after nearly $7.5 million and three years of renovations designed to bring the theater’s future more in line with its past.

“We’re taking it back to the original purpose of the theater, which was live performances rather than films,” Kirby Hutto, of Red Light Management, told a tour group Monday as carpenters, electricians and laborers hammered, glued, measured and sawed. “It’s going to be really cool when it’s done.”

Former Jefferson owner Hawes Spencer, editor of the Hook weekly newspaper, said he is pleased with the results of the renovation and the return of live performances to the venue.

“I feel that [current Jefferson owner Coran Capshaw] and his crew have really gotten it right. They really saved the place,” Spencer said. “People had offered to buy the building off me with some crazy development ideas, but I always wanted to restore it. Coran was the only one with the interest and the ability to keep it a performance hall.”

The venue will feature several bars for selling beer and wine, including a large bar in the building’s basement, one on the main level and another in one of the theater’s two balconies.

It will cater to live music performances, both country and rock, and should draw well-known national and local performers, Hutto said. He said the venue would not compete with the Paramount Theatre, which also features live music and shows.

Local rockers Trees on Fire will perform at the Jefferson on Saturday and locals Kings of Belmont will play Dec. 5. Shows are planned for most weekends up to Christmas and again in January.

The Ash Lawn Opera Festival had planned on making the Jefferson its home but decided in February to stay at Ash Lawn-Highland with some performances at the Paramount. Officials said the theater could not be adapted to meet the specialized needs of the opera company within its capital budget.

“We’re very different than the Paramount and the buildings were built with different purposes in mind,” Hutto said. “We’re aiming for this venue to be more of a rock club and to focus on live music. We don’t see it in competition with other venues.”

The Jefferson was built on East Main Street near the turn of the previous century. It was converted into a theater in 1912 as a venue for Vaudeville performers and hosted the Three Stooges, among others. Silent films were also a staple of the Jefferson after a renovation in the 1920s.

Several renovations resulted in the top-tier balcony — the theater has two — being closed off. Spencer said one hallway leading to the top balcony was later converted into a men’s room for blacks during Jim Crow-era segregation.

In the 1970s and 1980s the theater was remodeled again, with the remaining balcony enclosed and turned into a movie theater while the main floor’s stage was sealed off and turned into another movie screen.

During the renovation, old wallpaper, paint and walls were torn down to reveal neo-classical trim lurking beneath the surface. The lower balcony was reopened and is being restored and the upper balcony is also under restoration.

“It’s an amazing building. I’ve been in here nearly every day for two years and I’m amazed at all of the spaces and areas that we’ve found that we didn’t know existed. There’s a 12-foot high ceiling and space beneath the [lower balcony] seating that we didn’t know was there. We’re using it for some of our [heating and air conditioning equipment].”

The mostly wood frame building required extensive remodeling to meet current safety codes. Effort was made to hide much of the sprinkler system’s pipes and fixtures and other hardware to retain the theater’s decor, Hutto said.

“Our architect worked closely with building inspectors and, when we’d run into something that was unusual, he’d contact the inspectors for advice,” Hutto said. “The inspectors really worked well with us to respect the historical fabric of the building while still meeting current codes.”

Spencer said he believes the theater is “95 percent” historically accurate.

“They’ve done so many great things in restoring the building and making it a first-rate performance venue,” he said. “I’m very excited. It’s neat to see it come alive.”

Despite the plethora of workers scurrying about the building and the lack of seats in the lower balcony — they were due to arrive late Monday — Hutto said the theater will be ready in time for The Sons of Bill show, even if every T isn’t crossed.

“There are different construction phases we’ll go through to get everything done,” he said. “It’s going to be a great venue and we’ve got some great acts lined up.”