RICHMOND—
Richmond CenterStage is just days away from opening. Grand Opening festivities are being held on Saturday and tickets are still available.Below is a press release from Richmond CenterState on the Grand Opening:
On September 12, 2009, the Virginia Performing Arts Foundation will celebrate the Grand Opening of the much anticipated Richmond CenterStage, a performing arts complex located in the heart of Downtown Richmond featuring acoustic design by world-renowned firm JaffeHolden and architectural design by Boston-based Wilson Butler Architects.
Richmond CenterStage features three performance venues with state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems, a visual arts gallery and an innovative education facility. The developers built upon the restoration and renovation of the historic Carpenter Theater by adding two brand new performance spaces - Rhythm Hall and the Libby Gottwald Community Playhouse - constructed on an adjacent site, now named Dorothy Pauley Square.
In the renovation of Carpenter Theater, home of the Richmond Symphony, the JaffeHolden team worked in collaboration with Wilson Butler Architects and the theater planners of Theatre Projects Inc. to develop a world-class acoustic that is seamlessly integrated into the architecture of the historic building. The design will give the intimate 1,870-seat theater a symphonic sound with clarity, presence, warmth, and resonance. The stage house has been dramatically expanded and fitted with a custom designed orchestra shell, and the refurbished auditorium is suited with brand new seats and state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems. The restored Wurlitzer theatre organ will be reinstalled, and a new fiber optic system will enhance the ceiling's sparkling stars. In addition to serving as the symphony's home, the fully revamped Carpenter Theater - originally designed by the prolific John Eberson in 1928 as a Loew's Theater - will also host opera and dance productions, as well as touring Broadway musicals.
"After five years of performing in venues known for intimacy rather than acoustic excellence, our move back to the Carpenter Theatre at Richmond CenterStage will provide our musicians and audiences with a concert experience that can be enjoyed to the fullest," said David J.L. Fisk, Executive Director of Richmond Symphony, "Thanks, in large part, goes to the collaboration between the experienced professionals at JaffeHolden and our partners at Richmond CenterStage. We have been thrilled to work with JaffeHolden, and look forward to returning to a newly brightened home featuring such pristine acoustic quality."
The Gottwald Playhouse, an intimate 200-seat theater on the second floor of Dorothy Pauley Square, will host local performances of theater and music, and also be available for corporate meetings, lectures, conventions, and presentations. Designing a multi-purpose space such as this presents a particular challenge to acousticians, as spaces for theater must foster clear speech from actor to audience, and chamber music demands a clear and bright acoustic that is also moderately resonant. Here, in addition to enclosing the space with sound-isolating constructions to limit sound transfer, JaffeHolden worked with the architects and engineers to boost the acoustical capability of the space for both speech and music by applying special treatments to the interior surfaces and maximizing the ceiling height. The playhouse is also fully fitted with sophisticated sound, lighting, and A/V systems.
Rhythm Hall is a flexible venue located on the first floor of Dorothy Pauley Square that will feature local and regional talent and an array of activities from banquets to concerts to dance events. What makes Rhythm Hall truly unique is that it is separated from the center's visual arts venue - the Showcase Gallery - by movable glass partitions, creating an expandable space for various types of events. Both the Hall and the Gallery feature acoustical glass walls that increase sound isolation while still allowing the rooms to remain visually open to passersby; this brings the spaces' artistry and ambiance out into the streets of downtown Richmond. The hall was polished with a floating wood floor and a high ceiling that allow the sound to expand and breathe, creating a versatile venue complementary for both The Richmond Symphony's rehearsals during the day or a Richmond Jazz Society showcase at night.
To celebrate its Grand Opening, Richmond CenterStage will present a program designed to highlight the artistic range of the center's future tenants, and showcase the newly renovated Carpenter Theater's prominence as one of Virginia's premier concert venues. On Saturday, September 12 at 8:00 p.m., nine performing arts groups from the Richmond region will take the stage together for the first time to honor the occasion. The performance will include: African American Repertory Theatre, Elegba Folklore Society, Richmond Ballet, Richmond Jazz Society, Richmond Shakespeare, Richmond Symphony, SPARC, Theatre IV-Barksdale, and the Virginia Opera. The acts include more than 200 performers from the nine producing resident companies.
Ticket prices range from $35 to $100, and are on sale now through Ticketmaster. On Sunday, September 13, from 1pm - 5pm there will be an open house with tours of CenterStage, free to the public.
