CINCINNATI -- Music Hall is in the midst of a $135 million renovation that has replaced the strings of the symphony with the shrill whir of saws since June.
Only WCPO's cameras have been inside during construction, which is expanding the lobby to create a grander feel to the entranceways. The 100 to 150 construction workers on site any given day are also creating new dressing rooms, an orchestra library, a box office and offices for the symphony staff.
Capacity in the 3,500-seat Springer Auditorium will drop by about 1,000 to create more leg room, wider seats and light and sound locks on the doors to enhance the theater's acoustics.
The most dramatic change was unveiled when workers pulled down a drop ceiling in Corbett Tower to reveal 16 feet of space above with stenciled ceilings and windows that had been covered up for years.
There's so much work inside and outside Music Hall that the hugely popular Lumenocity light show moves to the Taft Theatre the first weekend of August.
You can see more from WCPO's tour through Music Hall with live coverage on 9 On Your Side starting at 9 p.m. Saturday preceding the Lumenocity show at 9:40 p.m.
The building closed completely June 1 and will not reopen until fall 2017. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Pops and May Festival will have their 2016-2017 seasons at the Taft Theatre, and the Opera and Ballet will move to the Aronoff Center for the Arts.
