By Payton Tholstrup
Photos courtesy of The Brown Grand Theatre’s FB Page
The Brown Grand Theatre in Concordia will be celebrating its Double Golden Birthday on Tuesday, September 17th. The historic building will be turning 117 years old and will host an open house that day from 2-4 pm. The event is free and open to the public. Everyone is encouraged to stop in to see the recent renovations and celebrate the history of the theatre.
In 1905, Colonel Brown told the citizens of Concordia that he planned to build an opera house. Throughout the entire building process, the Browns used natural resources, including labor, native limestone, and locally fired bricks. Carl Boiler, a renowned Kansas City theatre architect, prepared the design drawings and blueprints. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on April 3rd, 1906. Once finished, the Brown Grand Theatre stood sixty feet high and was one-hundred-twenty feet in length. The $40,000 structure had become a gem in the community, drawing attention to the small town with many people coming to Concordia to see it for themselves. Opening night was September 17th, 1907.
Much has changed since the Brown Grand opened in 1907. Even within the last five years, many updates and renovations have taken place. For example, the Ladies’ Parlor and backstage basement staircase have been renovated. Hot water was added to the main-floor bathroom, as well as the second-floor bathroom, which also received renovations. The hardwood floors in the theatre have now been refinished, and the seats, which were 94 years old, were replaced. House lights now have dimmable LED bulbs. The theatre also has new landscaping, an addition of an Orphan Train Statue, and a new roof.
More improvements will take place soon. Melissa Swenson, Director of the Brown Grand Theatre, said they will be adding a new projector to the theatre and replacing the backstage staircase (which leads up to the second floor’s backstage) this fall. “We are almost done repainting the upstairs dressing rooms. We are also replacing the carpet in the upstairs dressing rooms this fall,” she said. Next, they will begin fundraising to replace the antiquated lighting and sound equipment, as well as the exterior windows.
