KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Independence. Share your story idea with Claire.
Kansas City's historic Warwick Theater on Main Street has reopened its doors after a fire destroyed parts of the building a year and a half ago.
The theater's marquee, which had read "We will be back" for over a year, has now been updated to welcome audiences once again.
While the front of the theater appeared undamaged after the February 2024 fire, the blaze caused significant damage to the back of the building where costumes were stored and office space was located.
Once the theater company was allowed inside, they saw the damage was extensive. Costumes crowded the theater area, covered in soot, melted and smelling of smoke. There were no working lights and the windows were boarded up.
"I remember standing at the top of the big staircase and looking at the room when everything had been shoved in here, and you couldn't see because there was no light. Everything was boarded up. An absence of light is a very depressing thing," Karen Paisley said.
After months of repairs and holding rehearsals and shows at alternative venues, The Warwick is now ready to welcome audiences once again.
"There are a lot more safeguards in place. There are two big, big fire alarms here now, the kind that make huge noises and smoke detectors in the vents. So it's really a non-smoking building, and we're not kidding," Paisley said.
The journey to reopening wasn't without obstacles. The theater company faced challenges with insurance claims, worked to preserve as much of the building's history as possible, and even dealt with break-ins during the renovation period.
"There was a team of young people who came in and were working here, probably for eight months straight. I'm coming in every day, working on the demo, the cleaning, carrying things out, identifying can this be saved," Paisley said.
The fire was caused by combustible staining rags that had been discarded in the trash after a group had finished staining inside, Paisley said. From there, it spread up and down the back staircase.
"The Warwick was never intended just to be for one little theater company. We got it to be our home, but it was our home to share with everybody else. And now what we hope is that everybody will come enjoy it," Paisley said.
The theater is currently showing the musical "The Evil Dead," and Paisley anticipates that her company, the MET, will resume productions by mid-September.
When the fire occurred, The Warwick was already undergoing phased renovations. With the fire repairs now complete, the theater can return its focus to those planned improvements and prepare to move into Phase 2.
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