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    • Fox Theater officials unveil the venue’s new seating and wayfinding system
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    Fox Theater officials unveil the venue’s new seating and wayfinding system

    Caradoc Wyn Posted on

    Improvements include new seats, cup holders and tracking systems.

    Fox Theater officials unveiled the venue’s new seating and wayfinding system at a press event on Tuesday.

    The Fox was closed during the summer months for the installation of new seats and various upgrades to improve the theatrical experience at the 96-year-old theater.

    The 5,000-seat theater reopened in late September with the Sturgill Simpson concert and has hosted several concert events since then.

    “It was a labor of love,” said Tim Padgett, senior vice president of venue operations at Ilitch Sports + Entertainment, who worked on the rejuvenation project before the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Padgett and his team members traveled to theaters across the country, including the Fox Theaters in Atlanta and St. Louis, to see what worked at other venues and gather tips to take home to the Fox.

    They worked on the project with the Irwin Seating Company of Walker, Michigan, which also manufactured the seats for Little Caesars Arena and Comerica Park.

    The seats have been manufactured to replicate as closely as possible the venue’s original seats and match the fabric and design of the original seats.

    Other improvements include cup holders in the backrests, seat numbers on the actual seats instead of on the armrests and more lighting in the aisles. The aisles themselves are clearly marked with signage indicating numbers – Aisle 1, Aisle 2, etc. – rather than the sometimes confusing F1 and F2 signs that previously marked the venue’s aisles.

    “We are so excited to do this as the holiday season begins,” said Howard Handler, president of 313 Presents.

    Upcoming events at the Fox include Steve Martin and Martin Short on Saturday, “Elf: The Broadway Musical” November 6-10, Latto on November 11, Dave Chappelle and Killer Mike on November 15 and Jim Gaffigan on November 23 .until November 24th.

    About 800 of the Fox’s old seats were donated to Life Remodeled, which will use them at Anchor Detroit, a new community center and performance center that will be attached to the former Winans Academy of Performing Arts in Detroit’s Denby neighborhood. Additional seats went to Rebel Nell, the Detroit jeweler who will soon announce details of his plan to turn the material into jewelry.

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    Caradoc Wyn
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