Thanks to St. Petersburg College, the restoration of the historic Palladium Theater is continuing. While a lot of improvements – like our new air conditioning and wiring – aren’t easy to see, our latest renovation project will be visible to everyone.
This week workers are replacing all of our front doors. The original doors were beyond repair and the locks kept falling out – not a great thing when trying to secure a historic building.
The old doors were faded and beat-up from years of use. One of my predecessors, Paul Stavros, kept threatening to come by with a paint brush and repaint them. I told him to wait, that improvements were coming.
The new doors are recreations of the original but made of much better wood. These doors are made of Sapelli (also spelled Sapele) wood, an African tree with a grain that is very similar to mahogany. A quick Google search turns up lots of raves about the wood for its beauty and strength. It is often used to make guitars and even some pianos – so it is perfect for a music venue like ours.
The doors have impact resistant windows. All the original hardware is being polished and refitted to the new doors.
The doors will be in place for our two Side Door shows this weekend – The Kym Purling Jazz Trio on Friday and our Nova Scotia Fiddling Celebration on Saturday.
Come by this weekend and try the new doors for yourself – and stay for a great show!
The Kym Purling Trio appears in the Side Door Cabaret on Friday, March 12 at 8 p.m. And the Nova Scotia Fiddling Celebration – featuring Andrea Beaton and Troy and Sabra MacGillivray is Saturday, March 13, at 7:30 p.m. For more information and tickets go to www.mypalladium.org or call the box office at 727 822-3590.
2 comments
One place I visit before shows is the Old Northeast Tavern, just two blocks from the Palladium on 2nd Street North and 7rd Avenue North. Great pub food, craft beers, and fine wine by the glass. We’re also in walking distance of Beach Drive, which is home to a string of restaurants, many with outdoor seating with bay views. Some folks park at the Palladium and walk to dinner.
Hi Mike,
There are so many great restaurants that are walkable, or a short drive from here, that we couldn’t list them all. However, you should know that we have an incredibly informed box office staff that will be able to guide you in your pre- or post-show restaurant quest. Next time you’re planning a trip to the Palladium (and we hope that’s soon!), call our box office at 727-822-3590.