History
A Brief History of UApresents
UApresents
is the performing arts presenter at the University of Arizona and, in various
incarnations, has served Southern Arizona since 1937. We bring the world’s
finest artists and performances to our community and campus and offer
educational enrichment with master classes, school matinee performances for
K-12 area students, pre-performance ‘Arts Encounters’ with artists and
educators and post-performance discussions
History of Centennial Hall
For
more than 100 years The University of Arizona has played a leadership role in
Tucson’s cultural life. It all began in 1891, when believing the study of the
fine arts to be an essential ingredient of education, the University provided
not only instruction in music and art for individual credit, but also training
in group singing and opportunities for all students to perform. The UA School
of Music was formally organized in 1926 and with it, planning for a public
artist series. Initially supported by public subscription and later by student
fees, the venture was a serious financial risk. At that time, the largest
gathering place in the University was the old “Aggie” Auditorium. Seating fewer
than 500 people, it was a dreary, barn-like structure, drafty in winter and
stifling in warmer weather. Competition emerged when the Saturday Morning
Musical Club erected the Temple of Music on South Scott Street and offered a
concert series there. The inevitable rivalry between the two enterprises turned
out to be a fine arts bonanza for music-conscious Tucson as each group attempted
to out-do the other in providing the
finest programs. This remote desert town of about 30,000 was treated to musical
feasts rare in communities several times its size.
The
doors of Main Auditorium opened on April 22, 1937. That first performance, with
2,500 attending, included a cantata for voices, band and orchestra entitled,
“Land of Light.” The program also included a ballet, a one-act play by Thornton
Wilder presented by the Drama Department, a film of the UA-Michigan State
football game and remarks by UA President Paul S. Burgess. The evening closed
with the audience singing the school’s song, “All Hail, Arizona.”
In the
years following, Main Auditorium hosted the masters in classical, jazz and pop
music. As the student body grew, the auditorium found itself doubling as a
lecture hall—a trend that lasted from the late 1950s to the early 1980s.
In
1984, under the leadership of University President Henry Koffler, work began on
the renovation of the auditorium. Costing an estimated $4.3 million, a new
sound system was installed, deteriorating or obsolete lighting was replaced and
mechanical and electrical systems were updated. With its historic status, the
exterior of the hall remained the same—in fact, much of the interior was
preserved, including the ornate ceilings. The hall’s front doors were pushed
forward, doubling the size of the lobby and making room for a ticket office in
the center front of the hall. Of the 3,000 original seats, 2,454 were
refurbished while the box seats were removed and acoustical panels were
installed to better reflect sound.
The
stage and backstage areas were significantly improved and enlarged. A chorus
dressing room, two star dressing rooms and a restroom were torn out and space was
reallocated for dressing rooms, more than tripling that space to 6,200 square
feet, and providing four star dressing rooms with enough space for as many as
three per room and two choir dressing rooms.
The
stage area was increased from 2,000 square feet to nearly 5,000 square feet. This
was accomplished by demolishing the old backstage wall and extending the
building. The front of the stage can be elongated by converting the orchestra
pit to become part of the stage. With this bigger stage, backstage area and fly
space (the area above the stage), Centennial Hall is equipped to host large
productions including touring Broadway shows.
Main
Auditorium became Centennial Hall in recognition of the University’s 100th
anniversary.
Compiled from the notes of Evelyn Kimse
