Shea's raises curtain on new doors

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - The crown jewel of Buffalo's theatre district is showing off a sparkling new look just in time for Curtain Up on Friday.

The front entrance of Shea's took center stage Thursday morning when the historic theatre lifted the curtain on several new doors. The six gleaming pairs of brass doors are exact replicas of what greeted patrons back in 1926. The project is one of the final steps in the complete restoration of the theatre.

Old photographs, newspaper articles and construction plans were studied to make sure every detail of the original doors was included. And when it came time to build the doors, Shea's kept the work local.

President Anthony Conte said, "Yes, all the dollars spent on this project, roughly $600,000, was spent locally. The doors were actually manufactured in Jamestown, along with the decorative moldings, which were cast at Jamestown Bronze. We used local people to do the installation, the concrete work and everything else that had to do with the doors."

Another set of doors at the Pearl Street entrance is also being replaced, Shea's says the last big project in their restoration will be plastering and painting the main ceiling.

The theatre's new starts September 25th when the musical "Billy Elliott" opens.