‘Not opening Evita is not an option’ Springer director says as crews assess flood damage
A ruptured water pipe in front of the Springer Opera House has left the historic theater without power and staff scrambling to do whatever it takes to go forward with scheduled performances, including their production of “Evita.”
Paul Pierce, producing artistic director at the Springer, said Thursday there is no power in both the main theater building and the McClure Theatre, but they have power in the Springer Theatre Academy buildings. He said crews worked late into Wednesday evening pumping water from the basement, and they are still removing mud from the once-flooded spaces.
Pierce said when Springer Opera House personnel arrived for work Wednesday morning they discovered there was no power in the building. After speaking with Georgia Power and learning there wasn’t a power outage downtown, Pierce said they soon discovered the likely cause.
“After doing a little bit of investigation we realized that the entire basement of the Springer was under three or four feet of water,” Pierce said.
He said Columbus Water Works arrived to find and stop the leak. SERVEPRO of Columbus also responded to the Springer’s call, with much of Wednesday spent pumping water from the basement so a damage assessment could begin.
Pierce said Thursday they have learned that seven of nine air handlers for the air condition system were completely submerged in the flood . An inspection by Alexander Electric also determined the electrical panel boxes, switches and other electrical equipment down in the flooded area will need to be rebuilt, he said. Staff members are also concerned about the dimming system for lights, also located in the damaged area.
“The Springer is a 148-year-old national historic landmark and it’s fragile,“ Pierce said. “There are many systems in and around this building that were installed even in the 19th century.”
Pierce said it has been important to have the Springer’s technicians evaluate the equipment firsthand. “Our technicians have to get in there because we’re the ones that are most knowledgeable about the theater systems,” Pierce said.
Plans are already in progress to keep upcoming Springer shows on track, Pierce said. A high-capacity generator is scheduled to be delivered Friday morning to provide power to McClure Theatre, the site of their upcoming Children’s Theatre Series production of “101 Dalmations.” Technical rehearsals for “101 Dalmations” are still scheduled for Saturday morning, with the show scheduled to open Feb. 22.
Coming quickly on the heels of “101 Dalmations” is “Evita,” set to open March 8 on the mainstage in Emily Woodruff Hall. Pierce said they have already taken two of the rehearsal spaces at the Springer Theatre Academy for “Evita” rehearsals and are converting a third for use as a remote costume studio. Other components of the production, such as design work, have been moved off site.
Pierce said a full assessment of the damage will let them know if needed equipment can be salvaged in time for “Evita.”
“If (equipment can’t be salvaged) we’re going to have to replace it quickly because we’re going to be opening a huge, very complex, gorgeous production of ‘Evita’ the first week in March and we intend to be onstage ... not opening Evita is not an option,” Pierce said.
The Springer is scheduled to unveil their 2019-2020 season next week. Pierce said the announcement event is still a go, but will be moved to McClure Theatre and they will add a live-streaming component. He said they also has established a temporary box office in the foyer of the Springer Theatre Academy building.
“I’ve learned that after nearly 40 years in show business to be prepared for just about anything but this is a new one,“ Pierce said. “We’re down here fighting for a great theater.”
This story was originally published February 14, 2019 at 3:41 PM.
