Graphic: 
The Cedar River rose 20 feet 
above flood stage and tried to close the 
Iowa Theater Building for good.  Like 
many parts of Cedar Rapids, they are 
back���better than ever.

Bradd Brown  Board Vice President, Cedar Rapids Theatre:

When people realized the water was 
going to get as high as it did, people 
started up to or showed up to join the 
sandbag line.  People began to 
sandbag the facility but like a lot of 
buildings, um the water started 
coming in through the basement 
first and uh the lower level was 
completely decimated.  The lower 
level has always kinda been the back 
of house area so it���s been the green 
room, the dressing room, costume 
storage and mechanical, electrical 
type spaces.  But then the water 
also came on up to the main level, 
so it flooded out the main lobby.  
Water reached about 7 rows high 
in the main house.   
When the cleanup efforts took place 
there was great care to save the cast 
iron side side components to the seats.   
We were able to restore those and 
re-use those in the new seating.  It���s 
also interesting that up in the opera 
boxes there are two chandeliers that 
have been put in place and uh many 
of us never knew there were ever 
chandeliers there.  We were able to 
go back and find some old black and 
white photographs that do show the 
chandeliers in place. 
 It was originally an RKO Theater, 
constructed as an RKO Theater,  
but yeah it has had performances 
by Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant;  
many, many stars.  
I���ve mentioned to a number of people 
it���s been a really good experience for 
us. We���ve uh, I think that the individuals 
we���ve met with from FEMA have been 
as eager to help bring the theater back 
as those of us who are involved with the 
project or on the board.  They were very 
supportive you know -- helped guide us 
through the process and made it a very 
easy process for us.  Um, I���m also intrigued 
that with the assistance of FEMA, with the 
assistance of Vision Iowa and local donors,  
this will really be for,  it���s not a public owned 
building but it is kinda a public building, will 
be the first real significant public building 
that will come back from the flood of 2008.  
And this community needs a win, this 
community needs something positive to 
happen and I think this could really be a 
catalyst or turning point for Cedar Rapids.  
I think probably the biggest night this 
community has had since the flood is 
opening night, the grand reopening  
of the Theater Cedar Rapids.  Tonight 
is something very special; this is the 
grand reopening of the Theater with a 
performance of The Producers.  It���s a 
black tie affair and it will for many people 
be the first chance they���ve had to see 
the facility.  We want it to truly be a raising 
of the curtain for the performance of the 
Theater as well as to showcase the new facility.

Graphic:  
More than four million dollars in grant funds 
were provided by FEMA to rebuild the Iowa Theater Building.

Graphic:  
Historical photos and video used in this 
program courtesy of Theatre Cedar Rapids.

Graphic:  www.FEMA.gov