v 7 w - w w 12B - The Michigan Daily - Weeked Magazine - Thursday, January 8, 2004 TONY DING/Daily For a year and a half, Hill Au dito- rium was an eye- sore and a headache for Historic Hill Auditorium finally restored to fo By Alexandra Jones Daily Arts Writer University students, faculty and administration. The beautiful red and tan mosaic that lies between the building and North University Avenue had been covered with tarps, bricks, chunks of insulation, dust and debris. A tall chain-link fence and con- tractors' trailers surrounded the site. To make matters worse, the University Musical Society had difficulty finding large venues for world-famous musicians. Academic ceremonies like convocation had to be held elsewhere. The School of Music's large ensembles were forced to relocate concerts to less-than-ideal settings like the Michigan Theater. Hill Auditorium, dedicated on stage during his 70th birthday tour. He chose to play only three American cities: New York, Washington D.C. and Ann Arbor. There's definitely something special about Hill Auditorium. Fischer says of the renovation, "There has been interest in, renovating Hill for a long, long time, and it was simply a mat- ter of when the University felt it had the resources to be able to do the job. "So they're handling the renovation in several phases, and this first phase is the renovation and restoration of the hall as we know it now. The next phase of renovation will be, we hope, a backstage addition." This addition w June 25, 1913, was in dire shape before the renovation. The brick pattern that lies in front of the building's stately white columns was faded and damaged. Aestheti- cally, Quinn Evans repaired and "I always loved (Hill's) clarity. will accommodate visiting artists as ,t's .well as School of Music bands and It' so bi g and resonant, it has a orchestras that regularly perform presence of its own." concerts. "Anyone who has used Hill .EcuAuditorium knows that the backstage ~~ Corynn Eggener, School of Music alum needs major expansion and improve- reworked the brick mosaic, cleaned and replaced exterior doors, windows and lettering, and repaired or replaced roof tiles. Band-O-Rama, an annual fundraising concert that features the University of Michigan Symphony Band, Concert Band and Marching Band, had to be eliminated in 2002 and 2003. Symphony Band concerts featuring the music of John Phillip Sousa and George Gershwin were held in Michigan Theater to substitute for Band-O-Rama, and the Collage Concert was relocated to the Power Center. But the scheduling problems and ugly construction are finally gone. At 1:00 this afternoon, Hill Auditorium's status as a historic site will be reaffirmed by an unveiling ceremony. Speakers at the ceremony will include representatives from Quinn Evans Archi- tects, the firm that oversaw the renovation, School of Music Dean Karen Wolff and UMS president Ken Fischer. The auditorium will be open for self-led walking tours until 7:30 this evening. "You've got a great hall that's large. It's half the size of Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Avery Fisher Hall (the for- mer home of the New York Philharmonic)," says Fischer. There's no question that Hill is a hallowed site for the per- forming arts. Musicians, like vocalists Jessey Norman, Cecilia Bartolli and Enrico Caruso, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and bandleader and jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman have performed there. Leonard Bernstein conducted the Vienna Philharmonic on Hill's ment," Fischer explains. First phase of the Hill renovations began on May 13, 2002. It was estimated that the renovation would take 18 months to com- plete and cost $38.6 million. To begin the process, the Universi- ty secured the expertise of Quinn Evans, an Ann Arbor firm that specializes in restoring historic buildings. The firm has worked to maintain and preserve structures like the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall, George Washington's boy- hood home and parts of the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University. Here at the University, it has worked on the Detroit Observatory, the School of Natural Resources and the Environ- ment, and classrooms in the Law School. Some of the renovation's more practical changes include an increased number of restrooms, from 14 to 22 for men and from 10 to 30 for women, as well as one unisex restroom. Sound and light locks have been added at the entrance of the auditorium from the lobby. Sound locks will keep noise from the lobby and the sound of traffic out of the performance space, and light locks will prevent light from opened doors during daytime shows from seeping into the auditorium. "If someone was walking around in the lobby, you could hear a clip-clop sound inside the auditorium," says Wolff. One of the most pragmatic - and most anticipated - addi- tions to the historic performance venue is the installation of an air conditioning system. Electrical and ventilation systems rmer glory have also been rmer replaced. The most important renovation, however, is the addition of ramps and elevators. Until now, the stage had been only accessible via stairs; artists, audience members and students receiving degrees if they needed wheelchairs or other assistive equipment could not easily get onstage. The auditori- um's new design includes ramps on either side of the stage so that anyone can easily enter the stage area. Additionally, the mezzanine area was only accessible by stairs. For the first time in Hill's existence, attendees who experience difficulty climbing stairs can access the balcony area via elevator. Seating for audience members with wheel- chairs had also been problematic in the past, but seats have been created on both the main floor and the mezzanine to accommodate those with assistive equipment. Though the changes in seating have'reduced the number of seats to 3,710 from 4,169, Fischer thinks that the loss in revenue is worth it. "I applaud the University for their overall policy of inclusion and diversity," he says. Another practical feature Hill lacked was a concession area. The University worked with Quinn & Evans to create a snack bar in the lobby in hopes that concessions will create a more fun experience. "More and more people are looking at con- certgoing as a social experience. They want to meet with their friends, talk about performances - and now they have a place to do that right in Hill Auditorium," Fischer explains. Conces- sions will be served at both the Elizabeth E. Kennedy Lower Lobby and on the mezzanine level. While students, faculty and administration alike are excited about the modern adjustments made to the facility, many are still unsure of what Hill will sound like now that changes have been made. The final acoustics test occurred this morning. Wolff explains, "The architects were careful not to change Hill's signature sound. There was a bounce-back coming from the back of the auditorium, but acousticians believe that this problem has been remedied." School of Music alum Corynn Eggener says, "I always loved (Hill's) clarity. It's so big and resonant, it has a presence of its own." One of her favorite memories of Hill was waiting in line overnight for the UMS Half-Price Ticket Sale. "That was one of the coolest experiences of my undergrad. We played Scrabble." Director of Bands Michael Haithcock, who conducts the Symphony Band, sums up his feelings about the new Hill: "I hope it sounds exactly the same. It's glorious. The resonance in the hall is almost perfect."