NEW ORLEANS, La - Many stars and special guests are enjoying a private party to honor New Orleans theater owner Teddy Solomon and his family for their $5 million donation to the World War II Museum’s expansion.
The 750 guests will be among the first to experience the new 250 seat victory theater and see what they call a "cinematic experience" titled Beyond All Boundaries.
The film is described as a "4-D" experience with rare film from World War II, state of the art animation and a theater rigged to make the audience feel like participants.
"World War II was fought by kids who were 17 years old, was survived by kids who were 22 years old, men and women of every stripe," said Tom Hanks, an actor and executive producer. "Everybody was touched by it somehow in forms of sacrifice or maybe just in the case of worry."
Some stars even see this as something the city needs to help them grasp a more realistic understanding of the emotions of WWII.
"It’s huge. It’s so great for this city," said Actress Patricia Clarkson. "It’s such a tribute to the extraordinary men and women who have fought and died for this country. It’s such a moving day."
Having the audience feeling involved also gives the audience more insight of what the soldiers fought for then and how this is similar to the things we see now.
"I was born in 1940. I was a kid but I remember the blackout curtains and we had an air raid in Los Angeles," said Actor James Cromwell. "There are things that I remember but of course it’s not as personal as say, the contemporary conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are. It’s important to celebrate all veterans because without their sacrifice of course we don’t have the country that we have."
Friday's dedication not only marks the opening of a Victory Theater but also the Stage Door Canteen with its live shows and Chef John Besh’s American Sector Restaurant. The dedication ceremony is by invitation only but it will be opened to the public on Saturday morning.
Brittney Reese contributed to this story.
