Heralding the "finest theatre ever built," the Warner Brothers opened their Youngstown theatre on May 14, 1931 with the movie "The Millionaire" which stared George Arliss. The Warner Theatre was built by Harry, Jack and Albert Warner as a memorial to their brother Sam, who died in 1928. Sam had seen the future of "talking" movies and had encouraged his family in this new venture. Youngstown was chosen as the location for this theatre because it was the adopted home of the Warners. Their parents had immigrated to Youngstown, Ohio from Poland to escape the Russian terrorism of Jews.
They were originally in the grocery store business on East Federal Street. Harry, Sam, Jack and Albert, four of the five sons, were early pioneers in the film industry and were the founders of Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc., one of the giants of the motion picture industry.
Many believe it was Samuel's great interest in the experiments of the Bell Laboratories in sound and talking pictures that convinced his brothers to enter this field and to produce and promote the showings of the first talking pictures. The phenomenal success of the talking picture was, of course, the success of the Warner Brothers.
Designed by the architects Rapp and Rapp, the theatre was built by a local contractor, the Heller-Murray Construction Company, at a cost of 1.5 million dollars. Interior materials included marble, Carpathian elm, Italian olive wood, Australian and African cherry woods Madagascar ebony, and burled English walnut. Bronzes, Egyptian brass chandeliers, tapestries, oil paintings, and other art objects were imported to highlight the interior. The balcony featured cantilevered construction to ensure perfect sight lines. Accommodations for stage attraction were made. Dressing rooms, backstage lounges, and scenery rooms comprised some of the 114 rooms located on the five levels.
The theatre flourished in the 30's, 40's and early 50's, but by 1968 the declining movie business forced its closing. The last movie shown was "Bonnie and Clyde." The theatre was scheduled for demolition, and an auction to sell "Paintings, bronzes, art objects, fixtures, screen, chandeliers, air-conditioning units, etc." was scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 1968.
The Youngstown Symphony Society had attempted to purchase the building and public sentiment grew on behalf of the Society, but sufficient funds were not forthcoming. The destruction of the former movie palace became more imminent when a verbal lease was negotiated with a Cleveland parking lot company.
On September 18, 1968, Judge D. Barry Dickson, President of the Symphony Society, announced that Mr. and Mrs. Edward W. Powers, local residents, had stepped forward with the necessary $250,000 to save the theatre. After some hasty maneuvers, the dismantling of the theatre was halted, the lease cancelled, and the Society acquired title. Plans were immediately made for an intensive campaign to get public support for the renovation.
In January of 1969 the restoration began. With great care and thoroughness, the resources of the entire community were enlisted to rebuild the Warner. Virtually every trade, every craft, and every skill ultimately made their contribution. Special technicians were used to design and replace lost cornices and to reconstruct chandeliers.
Broken seats, worn-out carpet and the accumulated grime of thirty odd years were removed to reveal a structurally sound and amazingly undamaged building. All surfaces were scrubbed and cleaned, even to vacuuming of the rigging and walkways high in the fly area backstage. Sadly, most of the plush draperies simply fell apart as they were removed for cleaning; yet, the beautiful wood inlays, the imported marble, the mosaic tile work, and the ornate fixtures remained intact. To clean and patch and paint the high dome of the auditorium required most of the metal scaffolding available in eastern Ohio. Ever so carefully, plaster casts were made to reproduce the damaged rococo plaster designs authentically. New seats were installed on the first floor and loge, and original seating in the lower and upper balconies was restored.
Connecticut acoustician, Christopher Jaffe, was brought in and he declared the Warner Auditorium "acoustically sensitive." Because of the unique oval shaped walls and ceilings, molded acoustical panels were incorporated into the wall treatment throughout the auditorium. In addition, a flower-shaped acoustical "cloud" hangs in the uppermost part of the dome.
Three hundred and twenty-four days later, on September 20, 1969, the Symphony Center/Edward W. Powers Auditorium opened with a gala performance of "Die Fledermaus," conducted by Maestro Franz Bibo. With this opening, the Youngstown Symphony Society followed the St. Louis Symphony and became the second musical organization in America to renovate a former movie house for concert use. Thus, Youngstown became the first metropolitan symphony of its size to own its own performing center.
Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the Symphony Center/Edward W. Powers Auditorium serves as a performing arts center and social center, with a seating capacity of 2,303 people. Receptions, seminars, theatrical attractions, local productions, lectures and other special community events take place year-round in this facility.
In the fall of 1999, work began on a new Symphony Center East Wing; the project was completed in the summer of 2000. The East wing includes an improved and accessible box office, new rest rooms, a patron elevator and handicap accessibility, as well as new administrative offices and a state-of-the-art music library. The east Wing dedication ceremony took place on September 20, 2000.
Construction is scheduled to begin in the year 2004 for a Eleanor Beecher Flad Pavilion, which will include a new 600-seat performance venue with cutting edge acoustics for the presentation of live orchestral music, music ensembles and choral productions; upgraded kitchen facilities, and a gated courtyard; a new green room and dressing rooms; expanded loading, receiving and storage areas; and sound proofing to ensure the simultaneous use of Powers Auditorium and the new performance venue.