Another Morris delay: Restoration also needs more money

Editor's note: This story originally appeared Sept. 29, 1999. The Tribune is republishing it as part of its coverage of the Morris Performing Arts Center's centennial in 2022. Also, both the correction below and the story misspell Ella L. Morris' name.

CORRECTION (09/30/99 ): In a story Wednesday about the Morris Performing Arts Center, the late Ella M. Morris' name was incorrect. The Tribune regrets the error.

The South Bend community is going to have to wait a little longer and dig a little deeper. And even a $1 million gift won't save "Sunset Boulevard."

The new Morris Performing Arts Center will not be ready to open its doors in January, as was previously announced. Officials said Tuesday that while the hall will be "substantially completed" by Dec. 31, no performances will be scheduled until February at the earliest. The grand opening show will take place in March.

Also Tuesday, directors of the project's fund-raising arm set the goal for private donations at $8.3 million. The figure had been $7.2 million.

Duke Jones, president of the South Bend Entertainment District board, announced a new $1 million gift to the Morris fund by the Leighton-Oare Foundation. He said the restored theater in the Morris Performing Arts Center will be named the Leighton Theatre in recognition of this donation as well as an earlier $1 million gift by local benefactors Judd and Mary Lou Leighton.

"Due to their strong belief in this project they have again stepped forward," Jones said, to make the restoration of the historic theater and the adjacent Palais ballroom possible.

Judd Leighton later spoke about the glory days of the 77-year-old theater originally known as the Palace.

"I have so many different memories--all the plays, all the movies, all the great orchestras that have played here," he said. Mary Lou's mother, the late Emma M. Morris, saved the hall in 1959 when the theater, then known as the Palace, had fallen out of use and was threatened with demolition.

Jones called the $1 million Leighton-Oare contribution "tremendously significant. It gives us a big boost as we near the end of our fund-raising effort."

Including this latest award, $6.8 million in private funds have been raised to date. Assuming the cost of the renovation doesn't further exceed officials' estimates, another $1.5 million in donations will be needed to reach the new $8.3 million goal.

At the same news conference, Mayor Steven J. Luecke announced that the city of South Bend was upping its own stake in the arts center by $1 million.

"What we are creating is a gift to the future," the mayor said, before presenting Judd Leighton a key to the city.

The Morris' resident users, however, will be happier when the future is now.

"This is not a comfortable situation to be in, let's just put it that way," said Anita Boorda, director of the Broadway Theatre League.

Last week, she was ready to sign a contract with New York producers Cameron-Mackintosh for a six-day stand of "Les Misérables" at the Morris beginning Feb. 29. She had holds on "Sunset Boulevard," starring Petula Clark, and the Big Apple Circus, both set for January. Verkler Construction and the Morris' own Cleo Hickey had assured Boorda that the hall would be up and running in time.

But now it appears that in January, workers will still be installing the theater's sound system, laying the stage floor and finishing the backstage areas--if everything goes according to plan. So Boorda had to cancel "Sunset Boulevard" and postpone the circus. And she couldn't assure Cameron-Mackintosh that the Morris would be ready for a massive, complex show like "Les Mis" in February. That contract fell through, and now South Bend audiences will have to wait until November 2000 to hear Jean Valjean and the others singing in the streets of Paris.

"It puts a big hole in things," complained Boorda, who is still hoping the percussive dance show "Tap Dogs" and a Hoagy Carmichael tribute concert can happen in February.

"We have sold advertising, we had our brochures designed, we had all the prices set, everything was ready to go," she added. "And all of a sudden, it just collapsed. Every time there's an announcement, it seems to make it a little later."

As for the crossed lines of communication and other construction glitches that have contributed to the continued delay, Boorda said, "That's water under the dam." She said the problems "weren't the fault of anyone locally," implying that the Detroit-based architects on the project, Kessler Associates, were to blame. "It just comes as a disappointment to find that you've been working very hard, but you've been running in place."

The South Bend Symphony is better off.

Originally, executive director Mack Richardson had hoped the Dec. 19 concert could take place at the new Morris. He titled the show "Home for the Holidays" with that thought in mind, but held the date at the orchestra's temporary quarters, O'Laughlin Auditorium on the Saint Mary's College campus, just to be safe. Richardson knew some time ago that his prudence had paid off and the December event would indeed be at O'Laughlin.

Until recently, though, Richardson hoped the symphony could return to the Morris for its Jan. 29 concert featuring guest soprano Winifred Faix Brown. Holding the show at Saint Mary's wasn't an option because the auditorium was already booked on that date. So Richardson has rescheduled the performance for Feb. 26 at the Morris.

"Fortunately, that date worked for everyone involved," he said.

Marijke Niles, producer of the grand opening show, has chosen March 18 and 19 for her extravaganza of local talent. The South Bend Symphony, Southhold Dance, two high school swing bands, a gospel choir and other groups are engaged to perform, and "Rudy" star Sean Astin has promised to be master of ceremonies if his schedule permits. (He's currently overseas filming a new feature adaptation of "The Hobbit.") Niles also plans to hire a nationally known entertainer to headline the show.

Niles, who at one time expected the grand opening to take place in November, sympathized with Boorda, Richardson and all the patrons who are anxious to have their theater back. But she and Hickey stressed, as they have before, that quality can't be rushed.

Of course, the longer the project takes, the more it will cost. Hickey said that contingency funds were set up during the renovation's planning stages to allow for expensive, unanticipated extras like worker overtime. She declined to say just how deeply a recent delay with the stage house exterior will dip into those contingency funds. The total cost of the new theater, Hickey said--$13.6 million--should remain the same.

"The Broadway Theatre League and the Symphony have been very patient with us," Hickey added. "But I think we also have to weigh the benefits of what we're getting."

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Morris restoration his construction, financial snags in 1999