Majestic Makeover: Revamping a Madison Classic
Heather Sliwinski

The smell of fresh paint covers the pungent stench of stale sweat. Shiny faux-wood floors hide the sticky stains of spilled mixed drinks. Acoustic melodies and soulful lyrics replace thumping bass-driven dance beats. A psychedelic purple motif is painted over with rich crimson and gold. Teens no longer gyrate in a single, claustrophobic mass beneath a DJ, but bob their heads perched on high stools and sing along word-for-word, eye-to-eye with the performer on stage.

When Madison’s Club Majestic on King Street turned off its lights earlier this year, it made way for two new owners with a dream of turning this historic theater from skank to swank.

The grand reopening in September 2007 unveiled the Majestic Theatre as perhaps the closest the theater has been to its original name and purpose—a live music and performance venue—but with necessary refurbishments to the décor and set-up.

At its first opening in 1906, an evening general admission ticket for the Majestic Theatre cost a shy 15 cents. Its stage featured vaudeville acts performed by the “Majestic Players.” When films became a growing presence in the entertainment industry, it turned into a movie palace to fend off closure. After a short term as an “art house” theater showing international and American movies, it reinvented itself again as the trendy Club Majestic. But the dance club feel the setting gave off wasn’t in sync with the Majestic’s revived use.

New faux-wood floors, a bigger dance floor and a new paint color made the list of renovations owners Matt Gerding and Scott Leslie wanted to make when they bought the theater in June 2007, but not without keeping the Majestic tradition alive.

“When people walk in, [they] can see the history,” Gerding explained. “There’s sort of this awe walking in. It makes it a special experience for people.”

Gerding seems to have the winning combination of tradition and modernity, but his savvy isn’t apparent at first sight. Dressed in jeans and an unassuming black Majestic T-shirt, the 29-year-old looks more like the college-aged part-time help carrying boxes than a businessman. After some years living in Los Angeles, Gerding had heard about Madison and its thriving music scene and knew his place was in the Midwest. He partnered with Leslie, and together they saw the Majestic as the perfect place to achieve their vision.

“I think it’s got a great location, beautiful marquee, a lot of history and top-notch sound and lights,” Gerding boasted.

However, the owners had their work cut out for them to get the Majestic ready for opening night. The former Club Majestic owner left the theater covered in garish purple and cramped for space unfit for live bands.

After fresh coats of lush red and gold, new floors and several space changes, the Majestic has a classic feel, not what Gerding liked to call a “funky dance club vibe.” Structural changes made by the owners aid in the concert-going experience. Tucked next to the entrance sits the merchandise booth where bands can sell their CDs, T-shirts and other promotional gear. Ahead of the booth lie the stage, dance floor and theater seating. The floor-level row of seating was knocked out along with a DJ booth to create a bigger dance floor area in front of the stage. What’s the best seat in the house? Walk straight to the bar. The owners shortened it for standing room against the railing above the dance floor.

The balcony provides extra seating and areas to mingle. What once was the artist dressing room tucked behind the balcony seating area was morphed into an extra bar with tables set along windows overlooking the historic King Street district and the Majestic marquee.

“It’s a cool room at night, especially with the red lights,” said Gerding while pointing out the big Majestic letters atop the marquee. The owners designed this room for patrons who may need a break from the music or don’t want to see the opening band, but they plan to use it for a VIP area occasionally.

The artist dressing rooms moved above the stage, a better placement for famous artists who no longer have to walk through the crowd to reach the stage. The two dressing rooms, one each for the opening and headlining bands, have all the comforts of home to cater to the artist: fridges stocked with refreshments, cozy couches and TVs.

Fancy dressing rooms come in handy when hosting the likes of pop star Mandy Moore and indie-sensation Ben Lee on opening night. Gerding didn’t expect to be sold-out on the first night, but definitely wanted to be in a “comfortable” place. After a day and a half of set-up and a late liquor license, the Majestic opened to a crowd that left Gerding beaming with satisfaction.

“It looked great in here and sounded great, too,” he said with a laugh.

According to John Paul Roney, lead singer of Madison-based band We The Living, Madison hasn’t seen a similar big-name lineup since Luther’s Blues shut down in 2005. When the club closed its doors, he said, it left a hole in the Madison music scene not just for famous artists, but also for small acts who couldn't book a big show. The introduction of a new venue can bring big names back to Madison while also providing a location for local artists to build up a following. The Majestic seems to be doing just that, already having booked Elliot Yamin, Mat Kearney and We The Living early on.

However, big names won’t translate to big crowds and long lines. The Majestic comfortably holds 300, with a maximum crowd of 600, and the renovations made a special concert experience possible for every attendant.

“It’s an intimate experience seeing a concert at the Majestic,” Gerding said.

But how does the Majestic provide this intimacy for fans? Roney thinks an intimate concert lies in the size of the theater.

“I think it’s when you feel like you’re having a one-on-one experience with the person on stage, and some of the big places can’t do that,” Roney said.

Roney and his bandmates celebrated the release of their first album “Heights of the Heavens” in November at the Majestic. Roney chose the Majestic because he loves coming back to Madison and understood a renovated theater’s positive effect on an artist.

“To be in a place that’s aesthetically beautiful makes it great to perform,” he said. “A big part of it for performers is getting into the mindset…Playing in a beautiful place means you’ll perform better.”

However, it’s important to keep the history alive when changing a historic theater’s appearance. If a theater loses too much of its past, patrons could miss out on an extraordinary experience.

“You want to see something important happen in an important place,” Roney said. “Nobody wants to see an act that’s doing something in a perfectly restored 18th century playhouse.”

Gerding and Leslie have replaced the club funk with the theater’s former regality. They have refined it without losing its original design. They may have built a theater primed for live music, but they hope to recreate some traditions of the Majestic that aren’t music-related.

Now having access to a projector, the owners would love to show films at the theater inspired by its years as a cinema. Calling them “Brew and Views,” the Majestic would play cult classics, like Rocky Horror Picture Show, a long-running showing in the theater’s past. The Cherry Pop Burlesque might even hit the stage one day.

Gerding and Leslie have already reintroduced dance parties reminiscent of Club Majestic. Every Friday night the Majestic hosts “Soundlab,” spinning hits with an indie and retro theme for a crowd more hipster than hip-hop.

Clearly, the Majestic isn’t resting on its title as the oldest running theater in Madison. After reshaping itself for every trend, the theater is going back to the basics it was built on 101 years ago.

“Bringing back that tradition is important to us,” Gerding said, followed by a quick goodbye. He then returned to moving boxes before the evening show, striving to make his and Leslie’s Majestic Theatre a venue worthy of its royal name, known not only for what it’s been, but also for where it’s going.