Von Braun Center Unveils $15.3 Million Backstage Transformation to Boost Huntsville’s Growing Arts Economy

Last week, the Von Braun Center celebrated a milestone in Huntsville’s performing arts infrastructure with an open house unveiling its first major backstage renovation in nearly 50 years. The $15.3 million expansion of the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall modernizes behind-the-scenes spaces that support the city’s growing performing arts scene and world-class touring productions.

Historic Renovation Completed

The renovation, designed by Matheny Goldmon Architecture + Interiors and built by Turner Construction Company, expands the backstage area from 4,300 to more than 17,000 square feet. The transformation addresses a critical need that existed since the venue opened its doors in 1975.

The expansion adds six private dressing rooms including a new Star Dressing Room with Green Room suite, four chorus dressing rooms with upgraded restrooms and laundry areas, two new Green Room suites with dedicated production office and private meeting space, crew resting areas, and road case storage for more efficient load-ins and load-outs. The hall also now features five loading docks—up from two—including a new overhead door for large set deliveries, along with a new tasting room, dining room, and expanded catering kitchen.

Strategic Investment in Bigger Shows

The project grew out of an executive-led audit conducted five years ago and follows earlier upgrades to the hall’s steel rigging system in 2021, funded by the Linda Smith Family Foundation, which allowed the Concert Hall to attract larger and more complex productions.

VBC Executive Director Steve Maples explained that the venue engaged theater professionals from Phantom of the Opera in New York to conduct an assessment, which required significant steel additions above the stage to support bigger shows. Maples indicated the improvements could be a prelude to iconic Broadway shows like “Phantom of the Opera” or “The Lion King” playing in Huntsville.

“This expansion represents a major step forward for the Von Braun Center and for Huntsville’s thriving performing arts community,” Maples said at the November 5 event, according to media reports. “For fifty years, the Concert Hall has hosted unforgettable performances that have shaped the cultural life of our city. These new backstage spaces ensure we’re ready for the next 50—providing the level of hospitality and functionality today’s touring productions expect.”

Significant Economic Impact

The renovation comes as the Von Braun Center continues to serve as a major economic driver for Huntsville. In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the VBC hosted 544 events with a cumulative economic impact exceeding $97 million, with nearly one million people attending events including entertainment, sports, weddings, meetings, and conferences.

In the 2021-2022 fiscal year, the venue hosted 491 events generating over $80 million in economic impact. The center’s economic contributions are part of a broader tourism picture: Madison County visitors generated over $2.4 billion in economic impact in recent years, with more than 2.7 million visitors staying in hotel rooms, and each household in Huntsville/Madison County saving more than $1,300 in taxes as a result of travel expenditures.

Broadway Theatre League Partnership

Andrew Willmon, executive director of Broadway Theatre League, called the renovation “a game-changer” that “allows us to better serve touring productions, performers, and technical crews—which directly translates into a smoother experience for our audiences.”

The Broadway Theatre League is one of only two remaining original Broadway Theatre Leagues left in the entire country, having started in 1959 and making the Von Braun Center its home since 1975. The Broadway Theatre League contributed over $4 million in economic impact in the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

Honoring a Legacy

Linda Smith, longtime supporter of the arts and widow of the hall’s namesake, stated: “It has always been our family’s hope that the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall would remain a world-class home for the performing arts in Huntsville. These renovations honor my late husband’s legacy and give future generations the space they need to create, collaborate, and perform at the highest level.”

Dr. Bill Sullins, VBC Board Chair, added: “This is a tremendous investment in Huntsville’s arts infrastructure. The Mark C. Smith Concert Hall has long been a cornerstone of cultural life in North Alabama, and these renovations ensure the facilities backstage now match the quality of what audiences experience in the hall.”

Looking Forward

The November 5 celebration offered guests behind-the-scenes tours of the expanded backstage areas, marking a new chapter for one of North Alabama’s premier entertainment venues. With the modernized facilities now complete, Huntsville positions itself to compete for major touring productions that previously bypassed the market, potentially generating additional millions in economic impact and further solidifying the city’s reputation as a growing cultural destination in the Southeast.

The renovation represents not just an investment in infrastructure, but in Huntsville’s future as a destination for world-class performing arts—continuing the Von Braun Center’s five-decade legacy as a cornerstone of the community’s cultural and economic vitality.