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Tom Hanks and Patricia Clarkson Attend WWII Museum’s Expansion
6-Nov-2009
Written by: Justin Key
$60 million dollar additions pay respect to WWII veterans while supplying new jobs.
The National World War II Museum added a restaurant, a theatre and a replica of the "Stage Door Canteens," a theatrical setting that encouraged people during the war. Peter Vandyke, veteran and survivor of the infamous Normandy Beach invasion, was in attendance along with 350 WWII veterans, more than 100 active military personnel, and notable celebrities such as Tom Hanks, Patricia Clarkson, and Mickey Rooney.
The full expansion, to be completed by 2015, has a budget of $300 million with "The Campaigns Pavillion" as its next addition, documenting important battles of World War II. The current expansion cost $60 million.
And the first movie to appear in the 70,000-square-foot theater? None other than Hanks' own war documentary, Beyond All Boundaries. The restaurant will focus on bringing customers back to the past with its 1940s take on hamburgers, Reubens, and sloppy joes. The Chef, John Besh, said that they looked to menus from the era but tried to balance with what people would want today. The Stage Door Canteen will host shows paying homage to World War II culture and music.
With projections of 300,000 visitors in 2010, the new additions should provide 250 new jobs and boost the economy by $50 million for the state and $43 million for the city during the first year.
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