This past weekend Ravinia Festival unveiled their newly renovated Hunter Pavilion to the public and the storied campus. The project's completion comes right as Ravinia also celebrates reaching the $75 million mark in their "Setting the Stages" campaign, which has allowed for Ravinia to open the pavilion debt free.
Before the renovations debuted, I had the pleasure of touring the facilities and hearing from those who spearheaded the improvements. One of the most impressive things was the candor exhibited during the tour and subsequent panel displayed when discussing the improvements made on Ravinia. Everyone on the panel full acknowledged that the changes addressed issues that have been around for quite some time and that these improvements will continue.
All the renovations made to the the Hunter Pavilion had a focus toward community comfort and acoustic fidelity for all. Brand new seating, replacing the decades-old chairs made by a company that mostly made seats for sporting venues, look and feel incredible. ADA seating was also expanded and improved, allowing for better sights and accessibility. Their more spacious footprint meant that there would be fewer seats in the venue, but the loss made the overall better.
Both on the tour and during the panel discussion, the sonic improvements made on Ravinia Hunter Pavillion stage were emphasized; allowing for much better sound volume for performers. This included a new state-of-the-art sound system, the new orchestral shell that is as aesthetically pleasing as it is functional, and an expanded stage to facilitate a variety of performances. The expanded stage also resulted in fewer rows of seating, but it has been improved to be more versatile and resilient. Dance groups can still utilize the stage without hampering the acoustic changes made specifically for the orchestral performers.
The behind-the-scenes areas at Ravinia also saw some vast improvements, including expanding the women's dressing rooms, improving artist areas, additional arm-up and rehearsal rooms, a more robust production area for much broader broadcast capabilities, and beyond. The sonic capabilities of the venue have always been at the forefront but now more than ever is it being utilized to its full extent. The additional space for all of these sections of the back-of-house were much needed and implemented incredibly.
All of these changes are exciting and we certainly cannot not wait to experience them in their full effect. We highly recommend you check out our preview of this year's Ravinia Festival season here and head over to their website for the full lineup of shows. Tickets are on sale now and it's the perfect time to experience the new Ravinia Festival experience!
