{"id":492,"date":"2026-06-09T11:36:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T11:36:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=492"},"modified":"2026-06-09T11:36:28","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T11:36:28","slug":"6m-in-renovations-planned-for-uh-hilo-theater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=492","title":{"rendered":"$6M in renovations planned for UH Hilo theater"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Performing Arts Center at the University of Hawaii at Hilo will soon be getting a makeover.<\/p>\n

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The Performing Arts Center at the University of Hawaii at Hilo will soon be getting a makeover.<\/p>\n

A $6 million renovation project is scheduled to take place next year.<\/p>\n

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The center\u2019s manager, Lee Barnette-Dombroski, said the building, which hosts dozens of productions and community events every year, has changed very little throughout its over 50-year lifespan.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been here 20 years, just about, and when I arrived, the current carpet was being put in, and the current seating was being installed, and there was some sort of touch-up painting done here and there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Barnette-Dombroski said that while the building has remained structurally sound, it is in need of some upgrades and maintenance, which will be the focus of the renovation.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of it is kind of cosmetic, but it\u2019s the public-facing areas, so we\u2019ll have lobby work, exterior work, a little bit of work inside the auditorium, the seating area, and then \u2026 basic things like doors and paint,\u201d Barnette-Dombroski said. \u201cYou know, sprucing up, just some love for our long-time lady theater \u2014 she hasn\u2019t had much love in a number of years, so it\u2019ll be nice to have a freshening.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to paint, Barnette-Dombroski said the work will include replacing the carpet and remodeling the building\u2019s original 1974 bathrooms, along with more subtle changes like switching to LED lighting and adding a two-way intercom to the box office that will allow for more efficient use of the space.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one of those things where I\u2019m not expecting a huge reaction from people when they first come in,\u201d Barnette-Dombroski said. \u201cWhat they\u2019ll react to is that we\u2019ll have new carpet, which will be very different from the old carpet, and they\u2019ll see that and see a fresh space. But it\u2019s the little things that make a big difference, and if people don\u2019t even notice them, it\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The work is anticipated to begin in January 2027 and run through August, during which time the building will be closed. While Barnette-Dombroski said she is saddened the center will not be able to host its usual slate of events, she views it as a necessary and overall beneficial trade-off.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hate to be closed because we won\u2019t have, you know, the community in and out and the university folks in and out as much, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re all about,\u201d she said. \u201cSo, it\u2019s kind of like you sacrifice one for the other.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, she said there are plans for a condensed fall 2026 \u201cmini-season\u201d which will include several performances from visiting artists as well as a production of \u201cHow the Grinch Stole Christmas\u201d in November.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to make sure that we go out with a bit of a bang, so that folks remember we exist,\u201d Barnette-Dombroski said.<\/p>\n

She said people should expect a return to a full schedule when the renovations are complete, as well as some potential bonus events to celebrate the center\u2019s reopening and introduce the new space \u2014 which she said she hopes will maintain the welcoming atmosphere that has been fostered over the past half century.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll have a full season (in 2027\/2028). We\u2019ll try to do some special kinds of things to \u2026 you know, welcome everybody back,\u201d she said. \u201cI hope that when folks come back in, they will feel that it\u2019s a refreshed space and feel it\u2019s welcoming \u2026 our welcoming of the community won\u2019t change at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Email Grace Inez Adams at grace.adams@hawaiitribune-herald.com.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

$6M in renovations planned for UH Hilo theater – Hawaii News | Hawaii Tribune-Herald<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":491,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n$6M in renovations planned for UH Hilo theater - Moving to Hawaii Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/movingtohawaiiguide.com\/?p=492\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"$6M in renovations planned for UH Hilo theater - Moving to Hawaii Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"$6M in renovations planned for UH Hilo theater - 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