The Tuacahn Center for the Arts is an arts organization located at the mouth of the

Padre Canyon Padre Canyon is adjacent to Snow Canyon State Park and Red Mountain in Ivins, Utah, and features a three sided canyon and scenic sentinels carved from the red Navajo Sandstone. Padre Canyon is part of the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, a 62,000 ac ...

, adjacent to

Snow Canyon State Park Snow Canyon State Park is a state park in Utah, located in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. The park features a canyon carved from the red and white Navajo sandstone of the Red Mountains, as well as the extinct Santa Clara Volcano, lava tubes, ...

, in

Ivins, Utah Ivins ( ) is a city in southwestern Washington County, Utah, United States. It is a part of the St. George Metropolitan Area as a suburb or "bedroom" community. The population was 8,978 at the 2020 census, up from 6,753 at the 2010 census.h ...

. The facility was completed in 1995 and includes a 1,920-seat outdoor

amphitheater An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

, a 328-seat indoor theater, a black box theater, a dance studio, a costume shop, a

scene shop A scenery shop or scene shop is a specialized workshop found in many medium or large theaters, as well as many educational theatre settings. The primary function of a scene shop is to fabricate and assemble the flats, platforms, scenery wagons, a ...

, and the campus of Tuacahn High School for the Arts. The Tuacahn Center for the Arts contributes to the arts by producing two or three performances on its amphitheater stage, and offers the region a spring and fall concert series, and produces the annual Christmas in the Canyon featuring a live-action recreation of the nativity called the "Festival of Lights."

History

Tuacahn was founded in 1995 by playwright

Douglas C. Stewart Douglass Stewart is a Latter-day Saint playwright most notable for having written ''Saturday's Warrior''. He also wrote the screenplay used in the 1974 film version of ''Where the Red Fern Grows (1974 film), Where the Red Fern Grows''. He was the ...

. Partnering with philanthropist, and creator of the Franklin Planner,

Hyrum W. Smith Hyrum W. Smith (October 16, 1943 – November 18, 2019) founded the Franklin Quest Company in 1983. Among the company's other products, Smith created the Franklin Planner and seminars on productivity development based on "principles" and other co ...

, he planned to create a space to tell the stories of Utah's ancient inhabitants and pioneer settlers. The two, using a plot of 80 acres previously owned by Orval Hafen, set to building this dream. Seven Nielsen designed the amphitheater complex which included a 45,000-gallon water holding pond, a river spillway, and a drainage system for the flash-flood sequence in the inaugural run of the musical production of "Utah!"

Construction

During the construction of the center, two Mojave Desert Tortoises (an endangered species) were found dead along the road which led from the main highway to the construction site. This halted construction while an investigation by the

Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

commenced. On August 18, 1994, an agreement was reached between the Heritage Arts Foundation and the US Fish and Wildlife Service in which the foundation paid a fine of $20,000 and agreed to special measures to ensure tortoises would be protected during construction and after the center opened. This included special "tortoise-proof fences" and passages underneath the road where wildlife could pass under.

Opening and "Utah!: the Musical Spectacular"

Tuacahn opened in April 1995 with a dedication by

Gordon B. Hinckley Gordon Bitner Hinckley (June 23, 1910 – January 27, 2008) was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from March 1995 until his death in January 200 ...

and the

Mormon Tabernacle Choir The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, is an American choir, acting as part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It has performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle for ov ...

. The venue initially presented the musical ''Utah!'' (book by Robert Paxton, lyrics by Doug Stewart, music by

Kurt Bestor Kurt Bestor (born 1958) is an American keyboardist and composer specializing in new-age, film scores, and jazz. He is known for his instrumental Christmas arrangements. His best-known songs are "Prayer of the Children", "Mama Don't You Weep". He is ...

and Sam Cardon, and production design by Seven Nielsen) a dramatic retelling of the founding of southern Utah through the eyes of

Jacob Hamblin Jacob Hamblin (April 2, 1819 – August 31, 1886) was a Western pioneer, a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and a diplomat to various Native American tribes of the Southwest and Great Basin. He ...

, an early pioneer called by

Brigham Young Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his ...

to settle the city of Santa Clara and to make peace with the Native Americans in the region. The production used the natural canyon setting to great effect, dramatically lighting the red rock cliffs and incorporating special elements like pyrotechnics, live animals, and special effects including a flash flood that came across the stage toward the audience. Amidst the spectacle, the production's book included subjects sensitive to the Mormon population, including depictions of polygamy, the

Mountain Meadows Massacre The Mountain Meadows Massacre (September 7–11, 1857) was a series of attacks during the Utah War that resulted in the mass murder of at least 120 members of the Baker–Fancher emigrant wagon train. The massacre occurred in the southern U ...

, and Jesus Christ's appearance to Native Americans, as recorded in the

Book of Mormon The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude d ...

. Audience discomfort with these issues and lukewarm reviews prompted the rewriting of the show every season. Minor changes were made between the premiere in 1995 and the 1996 production. A major rewrite was undertaken for the 1997 production by Reed McColm, but major characters remained and Jacob Hamblin was still central to the story. In 1998, the book and lyrics were completely rewritten by

Tim Slover Tim Slover is an American playwright and professor of theatre studies at the University of Utah. Slover has a bachelor's degree in English from Brigham Young University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Besides widely perfor ...

and Marvin Payne, creating a fictional storyline that emphasized the peacemaking efforts between pioneers and native peoples. The production was remounted one final time for an abbreviated fall season in 2002, with Stallion Cornell providing yet another new book based on the 1996 version of the show. "Utah!" has not been produced since the 2002 season.

"Broadway in the Desert"

In 1999, with diminishing interest in "Utah!" and lackluster ticket sales from the 1998 season, the Tuacahn's board of directors changed the theater's programming to a season of more popular, family-friendly Broadway musicals presented in rotating repertory. The first season of this new format consisted of a double bill of '' Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat'' and ''

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers ''Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'' is a 1954 American musical film, directed by Stanley Donen, with music by Gene de Paul, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, and choreography by Michael Kidd. The screenplay, by Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich, and Do ...

'', both of which were wildly successful with visitors from all United States and 25 other nations. In 2002, productions of '' Annie Get Your Gun'' and ''Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat'' broke all previous box office records. This occurred again in 2003 when '' The Wizard of Oz'' broke all box office records at Tuacahn. In 2005, under the direction of the new artistic director Scott Anderson, Tuacahn commemorated their tenth season by presenting ''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...

'' and a third production of ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat''. These two shows once again beat all previous ticket sales. The successful production of "Disney's Beauty and the Beast" began a relationship between Tuacahn and Disney Theatricals that has lasted over a decade. In 2006, MTI selected Tuacahn as one of eight regional theaters in the United States to present the first post-Broadway semi-professional productions of ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...

''. In June 2009, Tuacahn was awarded rights to present the post-Broadway regional-theater premiere of

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

's ''

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

''. Due to this success, Disney awarded them the rights for the post-Broadway regional premiere of ''

The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a ...

''. The 2014 season, which included ''The Little Mermaid'', ''The Wizard of Oz'', and ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat'', was its most successful season to date hosting over 260,000 patrons. Tuacahn announced its 2015 season would include
Disney's Beauty And The Beast
"
Disney's When You Wish
" and
Sister Act
"
Disney's When You Wish
was a world premier.

Educational Programs

Tuacahn's school facility was originally conceived as a private school where students would receive private lessons and participate in group classes. The school was not initially successful, due in part to the remoteness of the location of the school. In 1999, Tuacahn decided to re-open the school as a Utah Charter High School.

Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts Tuacahn High School for the Arts was the first public charter high school in the state of Utah, United States. Tuacahn High School for the Arts is now permanently closed. It was located in Ivins, just outside St. George. The school offers a full ...

, a high school that combines a college preparatory curriculum and an arts focus in music, dance, theater, or visual art. Through the years it has been awarded with many accolades including first place at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Over 30% of graduates from Tuacahn High continue onto college degrees.

Venues

Tuacahn has two venues most frequently used for theatrical productions.

Tuacahn Amphitheater

The Tuacahn Amphitheater is a 1,920-seat open-air amphitheater. It consists of three sections of seating (Left, Right, Center) with 32 rows A (front) - FF (rear). All seats have backs and arms, but are not cushioned. Entrance to the amphitheater is from the rear, requiring all patrons to descend the stairs toward their seats. Patrons with limited mobility are encouraged to sit near the top (rear) of the amphitheater. There is extra leg room on row O which is sometimes used during the productions when actors walk through the audience. Wheelchair accessible seating is available on the back row (FF) only. The stage has a concrete subfloor with a concrete pass-under tunnel to get from stage left to stage right out of view of the audience. The rear of the stage is open to expose the desertscape and red rock cliffs behind the stage which contains lighting, sound, pyrotechnical, and water effects installations. The area behind the stage is a mixture of natural stone and naturally colored concrete. This concrete riverbed was installed during initial construction to facilitate a massive 55,000 gallon flood of water that comes from the back of the canyon and across the stage toward the audience. Though conceptualized and custom-built for the "Utah!" production, this special effect and other water effects have been featured in numerous productions at Tuacahn.

The Hafen Theater

The Hafen Theater is a 328-seat indoor proscenium arch theatrical facility. It is part of the Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts facility, though semi-professionally staged productions have been featured in this theater in the past.

Black Box and Dance Studio

The black box theater and dance studio are used primarily as working spaces for school classes, rehearsals, and special events. They are not commonly used for theatrical presentations.

Productions in the Amphitheater

;1995 * Utah! ;1996 * Utah! * Quilters * 1940's Radio Hour ;1997 * Utah! ;1998 * Utah! * How the West Was Won ;1999 *

* Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ;2000 *

The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments ...

* Fiddler on the Roof ;2001 *

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical theater, musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs (play), Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of ...

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. S ...

;2002 * Utah! * Annie Get Your Gun * Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat * Once on This Island (Tuacahn High School) ;2003 * The Wizard of Oz *

The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the chil ...

* The Unsinkable Molly Brown * Bye Bye Birdie (Tuacahn High School) ;2004 *

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also bo ...

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid-1 ...

Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell and Cyd Charis ...

* Crazy for You (Tuacahn High School) ;2005 *

* Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat * Les Misérables: School Version (Tuacahn High School) ;2006 *

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...

* South Pacific * Cats ;2007 *

Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons f ...

* 42nd Street ;2008 *

* Big River ;2009 *

Annie Annie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Annie (given name), a given name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Annie (actress) (born 1975), Indian actress * Annie (singer) (born 1977), Norwegian singer The ...

Footloose Footloose may refer to: * ''Footloose'' (1984 film), a musical film ** ''Footloose'' (1984 soundtrack) ** "Footloose" (song), performed by Kenny Loggins * ''Footloose'' (2011 film), a remake of the 1984 film ** ''Footloose'' (2011 soundtrack) ...

Aida ''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 December ...

;2010 *

* Cats * Crazy for You ;2011 *

* Grease ;2012 * Aladdin *

Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album ** ''Hairspray ...

* Titanic (Tuacahn High School) ;2013 *

Mary Poppins It may refer to: * ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fantasy novels that introduced the character. * Mary Poppins (character), the nanny with magical powers. * ''Mary Poppins'' (film), a 1964 Disney film sta ...

Starlight Express ''Starlight Express'' is a 1984 British musical, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. It tells the story of a young but obsolete steam engine, Rusty, who races in a championship against modern engines in the hope o ...

Thoroughly Modern Millie ''Thoroughly Modern Millie'' is a 1967 American musical- romantic comedy film directed by George Roy Hill and starring Julie Andrews. The screenplay, by Richard Morris based on the 1956 British musical ''Chrysanthemum'', follows a naïve you ...

* West Side Story (Tuacahn High School) ;2014 *

* The Wizard of Oz * Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat * South Pacific (Tuacahn High School) ;2015 *

* Disney's When You Wish (musical) *

Sister Act ''Sister Act'' is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Emile Ardolino and written by Paul Rudnick (as Joseph Howard). It stars Whoopi Goldberg as a lounge singer forced to join a convent after being placed in a witness protection program. I ...

* Footloose (Tuacahn High School) ;2016 * Grease (Tuacahn High School) *

Disney's Tarzan ''Tarzan'' is a Disney media franchise that commenced in 1999 with the theatrical release of the film ''Tarzan''. Films Produced ''Tarzan'' (1999) ''Tarzan'' is a 1999 American animated adventure musical film produced by Walt Disney Feat ...

The Hunchback of Notre Dame ''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (french: Notre-Dame de Paris, translation=''Our Lady of Paris'', originally titled ''Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482'') is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story ...

;2017 * Little Shop of Horrors (Tuacahn High School) *

Shrek The Musical ''Shrek The Musical'' is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. It is based on the 2001 DreamWorks Animation film ''Shrek'', along with elements of its sequels: '' Shrek 2'', ''Shrek Forever After'' ...

* Mamma Mia! * Newsies ;2018 * Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella *

Matilda the Musical ''Roald Dahl's Matilda'', simply known as ''Matilda'' or ''Matilda the Musical'', is a stage musical with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and a book by Dennis Kelly, based on the 1988 novel ''Matilda'' by Roald Dahl. The musical's narrative ...

The Prince of Egypt ''The Prince of Egypt'' is a 1998 American animated musical drama film produced by DreamWorks Animation and released by DreamWorks Pictures. The first feature film from DreamWorks to be traditionally animated, it is an adaptation of the Bo ...

;2019 *

* Disney's When You Wish (musical) ;2021 * Annie *

* School of Rock *

The Count of Monte Cristo ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' (french: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) is an adventure novel written by French author Alexandre Dumas (''père'') completed in 1844. It is one of the author's more popular works, along with ''The Three Musketeers''. Li ...

;2022 * Mary Poppins * Wonderland * Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ;2023 * Disney's Tarzan * Ronald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory * The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Productions in the Hafen Theatre

;1995 *

The Fantasticks ''The Fantasticks'' is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and book and lyrics by Tom Jones. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the 1894 play ''The Romancers'' (''Les Romanesques'') by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neigh ...

Greater Tuna ''Greater Tuna'' is the first in a series of four comedic plays (followed by '' A Tuna Christmas,'' ''Red, White and Tuna'', and '' Tuna Does Vegas''), each set in the fictional town of Tuna, Texas, the "third-smallest" town in the state. The se ...

* The Taffetas ;1996 * Quilters *

The 1940's Radio Hour ''The Radio Hour'' is a musical by Walton Jones. Using popular songs from the 1940s, it portrays the final holiday broadcast of the Mutual Manhattan Variety Cavalcade on the New York radio station WOV in December 1942. Plot A little New York Cit ...

;2000 * See How They Run ;2001 *

Nunsense ''Nunsense'' (1985) is a musical comedy with a book, music, and lyrics by Dan Goggin. Originating as a line of greeting cards, Goggin expanded the concept into a cabaret show that ran for 38 weeks, and eventually into a full-length musical. The ...

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ''The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee'' is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by William Finn, based on a book by Rachel Sheinkin, conceived by Rebecca Feldman with additional material by Jay Reiss. The show centers on a fictional spe ...

;2013 * The Crucible (Tuacahn High School) * Mulan ;2014 * The Threepenny Opera (Tuacahn High School) * The Tempest (Tuacahn High School) ;2016 * These Shining Lives (Tuacahn High School) ;2017 * Smokey Joe's Cafe (Tuacahn High School) * Fairytale Christmas ;2018 *

Million Dollar Quartet "Million Dollar Quartet" is a recording of an impromptu jam session involving Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash made on December 4, 1956, at the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. An article about the session ...

* Shakespeare In Love (Tuacahn High School) * Fairytale Christmas ;2019 * A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder *

Elf An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control Arts centers in Utah Theatres in Utah Amphitheaters in the United States Buildings and structures completed in 1995 Theatres completed in 1995 Buildings and structures in Washington County, Utah Tourist attractions in Washington County, Utah Performing arts centers in Utah 1995 establishments in Utah