![DancersDenverPerformingArtsComplex](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/DancersDenverPerformingArtsComplex.jpg)
The Denver Performing Arts Complex (also referred to as the "Arts Complex") is located in
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
and is one of the largest
performing arts center
Performing arts center/centre (see spelling differences), often abbreviated as PAC, is used to refer to:
* A multi-use performance space that is intended for use by various types of the performing arts, including dance, music and theatre.
:The ...
s in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The DCPA is a four-block, site containing ten performance spaces, with over 10,000 seats connected by an tall glass roof. It is home to a professional theatre company and also hosts Broadway musical tours,
contemporary dance
Contemporary dance is a genre of dance performance that developed during the mid-twentieth century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout the world, with particularly strong popularity in ...
and
ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
, chorales, symphony orchestras, opera productions, and pop stars.
The City and County of Denver’s Arts & Venuesowns and operates the three largest theatres in the Arts Complex, the
Ellie Caulkins Opera House
The Ellie Caulkins Opera House is located in Denver, Colorado as part of the large Denver Performing Arts Complex. It seats 2,225. The Caulkins family pledged $7 million towards the enhancement of the lyric opera house and adjacent public spaces w ...
, the Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre and
Boettcher Concert Hall
Bottcher or Böttcher is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Albrecht Böttcher (born 1954), German mathematician
* Arthur Böttcher (1831–1889), German pathologist and anatomist
* August Friedrich Böttcher (1825–1 ...
. The Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex within the Arts Complex is managed and operated by the
Denver Center for the Performing Arts
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is an organization in Denver, Colorado which provides a showcase for live theatre, a nurturing ground for new plays, a preferred stop on the Broadway touring circuit, acting classes for the communi ...
.
Performing arts organizations which regularly appear in the performance spaces include the
Colorado Ballet
Colorado Ballet encompasses a 31-member professional performing ballet company, a studio company for advanced dance students, an Academy, and an education and outreach department. Based in downtown Denver, Colorado, Colorado Ballet serves more tha ...
, the
Colorado Symphony
The Colorado Symphony is an American symphony orchestra located in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1989 as the successor to the Denver Symphony Orchestra, the Colorado Symphony performs in Boettcher Concert Hall, located in the Denver Performing ...
,
Opera Colorado Opera Colorado is an opera company located in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1981, it presents an annual season of three to four fully staged productions. Its primary performance venue is the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.
History
The company was founde ...
and the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ theatrical divisions — ''Denver Center Broadway'' and ''Denver Center Theatre Company''.
Performance and other facilities
The Denver Performing Arts Complex houses the following performance spaces:
* The
Ellie Caulkins Opera House
The Ellie Caulkins Opera House is located in Denver, Colorado as part of the large Denver Performing Arts Complex. It seats 2,225. The Caulkins family pledged $7 million towards the enhancement of the lyric opera house and adjacent public spaces w ...
is the main venue inside of the Quigg Newton Denver Municipal Auditorium. Its
seating capacity
Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...
is 2,225.
*The Buell Theatre is designed for amplified musicals, dramatic plays and comedy acts. Its
seating capacity
Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...
is 2,884.
*
Boettcher Concert Hall
Bottcher or Böttcher is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Albrecht Böttcher (born 1954), German mathematician
* Arthur Böttcher (1831–1889), German pathologist and anatomist
* August Friedrich Böttcher (1825–1 ...
is the nation's first symphony hall in the round, designed to place the audience close to the stage. Its
seating capacity
Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...
is 2,679.
*
Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex
The Wolf Theater is the largest of the four (4) theaters in the Bonfils Theatre Complex. It was previously known as the Stage Theatre. It has a seating capacity is 601. The theater features audio-enhancing walls and a thrust stage. It was remodeled in 2020-2021 and its current name honors long-time patrons and benefactors in Denver's theater community.
The Kilstrom Theater, renamed in 2021, was previously known as the Space Theatre. It was remodeled in 2017 with new wheelchair accessibility.
The Singleton Theatre was previously known as the Ricketson Theatre. Recently renamed to honor William Dean Singleton, who was involved in the creation of the DCPA in its early years, it has been recently remodeled to include easier elevator access. It has 250 seats in a proscenium theatre. It was originally created as an art-house movie theater.
The Jones Theatre features 200 seats and a thrust stage. It has a separate entrance on the outside of the building, near the intersection with Speer Boulevard. This theatre is often used for more experimental productions under the DCPA's Off-Center brand.
The Garner Galleria Theatre has a seating capacity of 210.
The Donald R. Seawell Grand Ballroom is a pentagonal room with panoramic views of the mountains. This facility holds a maximum capacity of 1,029 people. It can accommodate a variety of functions and performances, featuring its own catering kitchen, freight elevator, tables, chairs, portable dance floor, moveable platform staging and a lighting, audio, video, and projection systems.
Sculpture Park
Sculpture Park is located at the southwest corner of the complex at N. Speer Blvd. and Champa St.
Often called 'the dancing aliens' locally because of the sculptures' scale, the official name is:
*''
Dancers
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...
'' by
Jonathan Borofsky
Jonathan Borofsky (born December 24, 1942) is an American sculptor and printmaker who lives and works in Ogunquit, Maine.
Early life and education
Borofsky was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mel ...
. The sculpture consists of two 60-foot silver-colored dancers made of steel and fiberglass.
Dumb and Dumber: Jonathan Borofsky's "The Dancers" waltz into Denver
Michael Paglia. ''Westword
''Westword'' is a free digital and print media publication based in Denver, Colorado. ''Westword'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue cir ...
''. June 26, 2003. Accessed 2012-12-09.
See also
* List of concert halls
A concert hall is a cultural building with a stage that serves as a performance venue and an auditorium filled with seats.
This list does not include other venues such as sports stadia, dramatic theatres or convention centres that may ...
References
External links
Denver Performing Arts Complex's official website
{{Denver
Buildings and structures in Denver
Theatres in Denver
Performing arts centers in Colorado
Concert halls in Colorado
Tourist attractions in Denver