The Muny's Iconic Tree Canopy Returns

After three years of preparation, The Muny is once again "the theatre between the mighty oaks." Traveling nearly 300 miles earlier this month, the new trees that form the iconic canopy come from Kaneville Tree Farms in Kaneville, Illinois. The seven large trees planted include two swamp white oaks, two State Street maples and three London planes, each weighing 10,000 pounds with trunks ranging in size from six to eight inches.

In August of 2018, The Muny began a multi-million-dollar stage renovation. Part of that renovation included the planting of state-of-the-art structural soil cells beneath the stage. These cells offer an ideal growing environment for the trees' roots to spread out safely, away from the infrastructure, and provide proper aeration and irrigation opportunities for the canopy to flourish in the years to come.

"The trees have been such an iconic element of the Muny stage. Throughout the renovations, the arborists, landscape architects and construction teams made sure the trees would have a place to thrive once planted," said Muny President and CEO, Denny Reagan. "We are thrilled to welcome our newest 'family members' and can't wait for St. Louis to see the canopy for themselves."

"From the beginning of this project, everyone on our team recognized the importance of the trees on stage and the challenges we would face with our unique setting," said Muny Director of Operations, Sean Smith. "We brought in a specialized team to make sure that we could create the best possible growing conditions for our new tree canopy. Our hope is that by using the latest planting methodologies, these trees will thrive and be here for the enjoyment of future generations of Muny-goers."

To learn more about The Muny's Tree Fund, please click here.

The five shows in The Muny's 2020 season include: Chicago (July 20 - 26), The Sound of Music (July 29 - August 4), On Your Feet! (August 7 - 13), Smokey Joe's Cafe (August 15 - 21) and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (August 24 - 30).