Repairs Underway at Eugene O’Neill Theatre; Architect Behind 1994 Restoration Weighs In on Timeline

With performances of The Book of Mormon now cancelled through Sunday, May 17 following Monday’s three-alarm fire at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, BroadwayWorld spoke with architect Francesca Russo, who led the theatre’s acclaimed 1994 restoration, to get a sense of what the path forward could look like.

Russo, who directed her own company for 30 years with a focus on buildings for the arts, has served as restoration architect on a remarkable roster of Broadway houses, including the recent interior restoration of the Majestic Theatre, as well as projects at the Jones (former Cort), Jacobs, Schoenfeld, Golden, Booth, Belasco, Winter Garden, St. James, Hirschfeld (former Beck), Music Box, and American Airlines Theatres.

The 1994 Eugene O’Neill project marked Russo’s first undertaking with her own firm, and it began with what was originally meant to be a simple paint job. “Howard called and said, we want to paint the theater,” she recalled, referring to Howard Rogut, then general manager for the Jujamcyn group at the time. “I walked in and I looked around and I said, this theater needs much more than just paint.”

What followed was a comprehensive restoration that brought the Herbert J. Krapp-designed auditorium back to its original Adam-style glory. Russo’s team turned to historic archives, uncovering articles and photographs that revealed the theatre’s original color palette of subtle purples and golds. A paint analysis, performed by cutting into layers of paint and examining them under a microscope, confirmed the historical record, as did a small scrap of original violet velvet discovered tucked away during the investigation, having survived later reupholstery of the box rails.

“Often in these projects, we’d have a little eureka moment where we would find something,” Russo said. “That was one of the moments for us.”

The restoration included rebuilding lost plaster ornamentation around the box portals, replacing contemporary light fixtures with period-appropriate pieces, installing a new marble tile floor in the ticket lobby, and creating custom plaster medallions for the lobby ceiling to serve as a transition into the auditorium. The project also introduced a custom-designed carpet inspired by historical photographs, new draperies, and reconfigured seating with a thinner ergonomic back to improve the famously tight row-to-row spacing.

Asked about a potential timeline for the current repairs, Russo was careful not to speculate too specifically without knowing the full extent of the damage. The Department of Buildings has reported heavy fire damage to the spotlight room and roof, with the blaze having originated in an electrical room between the fourth and fifth floors before extending upward.

Her estimate ranged from a few weeks to a couple of months, depending on the complexity of what inspectors find, a range broadly consistent with ATG Entertainment’s statement that performances are anticipated to resume “in the coming weeks.”

“They would do a full evaluation of the electrical to see if there is any component that hadn’t been updated,” Russo said. “If they can isolate what the problem is and fix it right away, it could just be a few weeks. It’s going to depend on the electrical inspector and making sure that it’s totally safe, obviously.”

She pointed to a precedent from a few years ago: a small fire at the Lyceum Theatre that was caught quickly and dealt with without significant disruption, though that theatre happened to be dark at the time. That fire, like the one at the Eugene O’Neill, was electrical in origin. A spokesman for The Shubert Organization, which owns the 114-year-old playhouse, said at the time that the fire appeared to have started in an electrical panel adjacent to the mezzanine.

One factor that could work in the production’s favor is the nature of the affected areas. Unlike the auditorium itself, which falls under the purview of the Landmarks Preservation Commission, spotlight rooms and electrical rooms are not typically landmarked spaces. That distinction matters because most theatre projects require parallel conversations with both the Department of Buildings, which oversees functionality and safety, and Landmarks, which signs off on aesthetics and preservation of original fabric. “The building department does not give their final approval until landmarks signs off,” Russo explained. With the damaged areas likely outside Landmarks’ jurisdiction, that approval process could move more quickly.

Russo also noted that Broadway theatres benefit from a level of institutional urgency that other construction projects don’t enjoy. Referencing her work on what is now the Hirschfeld Theatre, where a significant amount of work, including an extension of the mezzanine, was completed in just three months, she emphasized that round-the-clock crews are common on theatre projects. “The theaters are very important to the city as well, because people come to the city to see the theater. The city wants to help the theater owners get back on track as quickly as possible. I’m sure there’s expediting at every level.”

BroadwayWorld can confirm that work at the theatre has begun to progress. In an updated statement, the DOB confirmed that the owners of 230 West 49th Street have conducted some of the needed repairs inside the building and requested a follow-up inspection, which was performed earlier today. The inspection found that repairs had been completed in the public assembly spaces, the parts of the theatre open to the public, though repairs have not been completed in the spotlight room. As a result, the DOB has partially lifted the Vacate Order to allow the rest of the building to be reoccupied. The spotlight room itself remains under an active DOB-issued Vacate Order.

In a statement released this week, ATG Entertainment and The Book of Mormon said the fire was limited to the follow spot booth of the O’Neill and that the exact cause remains unknown. “ATG Entertainment and The Book of Mormon are currently working with a team of industry professionals to begin repairs needed to the building,” the statement read. The companies thanked firefighters and emergency responders for their “bravery and speedy response.”

Performances of The Book of Mormon have been cancelled through Sunday, May 17, with ticket holders to be notified via point of purchase for refunds or rescheduling. ATG Entertainment said an additional update regarding performances is expected next week.

The announcement followed a Full Vacate Order issued by the New York City Department of Buildings for the Eugene O’Neill Theatre. DOB inspectors conducted a structural inspection after the three-alarm fire and reported heavy damage to the spotlight room and sections of the roof. No injuries were reported during the DOB inspection, though one firefighter was injured during the emergency response. The fire also spread to a neighboring hotel at 224 West 49th Street, where a Partial Vacate Order was issued for rooms on the fifth floor.

The Eugene O’Neill Theatre, designed by Herbert J. Krapp and operated by ATG Entertainment, has been home to The Book of Mormon since the musical opened on Broadway in 2011. The production recently celebrated its 15th anniversary.

BroadwayWorld is continuing to follow the story.

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