An old theater finds new money and the same ceiling leak.

The Thalia Theater reopened Friday with brass rails, crimson seats and a donor wall longer than the interval. The 1911 house had been dark since a section of ornamental plaster discovered gravity above row H.

A private foundation financed the restoration in exchange for naming rights to the lobby, the balcony, the rehearsal room and every seat wide enough to hold a plaque. The auditorium retains its historic name because preservation officials could not locate a flat surface large enough for the sponsor.

The opening program paired a chamber orchestra with projected images of old Algonquin. A leak near the upper gallery supplied an unlisted water feature during the second movement.

Management said the roof repair belongs to phase two, which begins when phase one donors finish attending phase one celebrations.

The theater's strongest asset remains the room itself: intimate, stubborn and acoustically generous enough to make every whispered complaint part of the performance.