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Photos: Renovated, expanded Capri Theater reopens in Minneapolis

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (right) speaks during a grand reopening event for the Capri Theater in Minneapolis on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021. The Capri Theater dates back to 1927. Among other moments in its history, it's the stage where Prince performed his first shows as a solo artist.
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (right) speaks during a grand reopening event for the Capri Theater in Minneapolis on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021. The Capri Theater dates back to 1927. Among other moments in its history, it's the stage where Prince performed his first shows as a solo artist.Tim Evans for MPR News

by MPR News Staff

October 04, 2021

The historic Capri Theater in north Minneapolis officially reopened Sunday.

The nearly 100-year-old theater closed in 2019 for renovations and expansion. In addition to a restored auditorium and lobby, the updated building includes new classrooms, a tech center and an outdoor plaza.

Ahead of the event, theater officials said the new Capri is "designed to provide the northside and metro-wide community with countless opportunities to experience and produce art, to create and implement ideas and to be together."

Theater director James Scott said he was excited to show the community the new and improved space.

"I'm most looking forward to the sense of awe, the sense of amazement as this community takes in this space that's been built for them," he said. "It's just been too long since we've had an opportunity to interact with people."

The Capri Theater on West Broadway dates back to 1927. Among other moments in its history, it's the stage where Prince performed his first shows as a solo artist.

Sunday's celebration included a ribbon-cutting, followed by music and dance performances and self-guided tours of the theater. It kicked off eight days of grand reopening events.

This article originally published on the MPR News website.