The Potawatomi Bingo Casino provided BizTimes Milwaukee with a sneak peek at its completely renovated Northern Lights Theater Wednesday. The theater was “gutted” in August and has been remodeled with several improvements to enhance the intimate concert experience, according to Robert Rech, entertainment manager at Potawatomi Bingo Casino.
All seats at the theater now face the stage, where as some of the tables before had forced patrons to look to their right or their left during entire show, Rech said.
The new décor emphasizes the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe’s connection to and appreciation of the earth. A hand-pained beadwork pattern outlines the stage. The theater has new carpeting, wallpaper, furniture and fixtures.
The theater seats approximately 500, including booth, table and traditional theater seating. With the renovations, the theater no longer will serve dinners, but instead will be an improved concert setting, Rech said.
The architect for the remodeling project was Quorum Architects Inc. of Milwaukee, and the general contractor was Camosy Inc. of Kenosha. Subcontractors included C.H. Coakley & Company of Milwaukee; Olympic Wall Systems of Brookfield; Peter Albrecht Co. of Greendale
Millwork; Stuck Wood Works Inc. of Milwaukee; Henricksen Furniture of Brookfield; and Interior Investments LLC of Milwaukee
The unveiling of the remodeled Northern Lights Theater on Wednesday took place during a soundcheck by the Max Weinberg Big Band. Weinberg is the drummer for Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band and formerly was the drummer for the Max Weinberg 7 on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Springsteen refers to Weinberg as “The Mighty Max.”
The Northern Lights tour was led Wednesday by Rech and Potawatomi Bingo Casino spokespersons Ryan Amundson and Kimberly Dicke.
