Celebrity Theatre is a

theater in the round A theatre in the round, arena theatre or central staging is a space for theatre in which the audience surrounds the stage. Theatre-in-the-round was common in ancient theatre, particularly that of Greece and Rome, but was not widely explored aga ...

located in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the on ...

Construction and features

Beverly Hills architect Perry Neuschatz designed the 196-foot-diameter building as a multipurpose conference center. He received the 1964 top award from the Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) for his outstanding design. Gary Call was the associate architect.

T. Y. Lin International TYLin is a global, multi-disciplinary infrastructure services firm. Headquartered in San Francisco, TYLin established its business in the design of long-span bridges and specialty structures. The firm provides a range of planning, design, const ...

was the structural engineer and E. L. Farmer Construction Company was general contractor. Owners planned to use Celebrity Theatre as a concert venue during the winter. It was further renovated significantly in 1995. The building was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 2019. The stage is 30 feet in diameter and completely round, exposed to the audience on all sides. An unusual feature of the theater is that the entire stage can turn through a complete revolution at a speed of up to 0.5 revolutions per hour, thus allowing everyone in the audience to see every part of the stage at some point during a two-hour performance. None of the 2650 seats in the theater are more than 70 feet from the stage. The theater is equipped with an orchestra pit and can be reconfigured as a proscenium stage if necessary, although this reduces the seating capacity by 25% to 50%, depending on configuration.

Notable performances

The theatre opened on January 13, 1964 with the musical "South Pacific" starring

Betsy Palmer Betsy Palmer (born Patricia Betsy Hrunek; November 1, 1926 – May 29, 2015) was an American actress, who was known as a regular supporting film and Broadway actress and television guest star, as a panelist on the game show ''I've Got a Secret' ...

. In the years since, the theatre has hosted such stars as

George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American comedian, actor, author, and social critic. Regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercu ...

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...

, Joe Cocker,

Carol Channing Carol Elaine Channing (January 31, 1921 – January 15, 2019) was an American actress, singer, dancer and comedian who starred in Broadway and film musicals. Her characters usually had a fervent expressiveness and an easily identifiable voice, ...

, Diana Ross, Billy Joel,

Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), ...

Vikki Carr Florencia Vicenta de Casillas-Martínez Cardona (born July 19, 1940), known by her stage name Vikki Carr, is an American vocalist. She has a singing career that spans more than four decades. Born in El Paso, Texas, to Mexican parents, she has p ...

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, The Goose Creek Symphony,

Dr. Hook Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show (shortened to Dr. Hook in 1975) is an American rock band, formed in Union City, New Jersey. The band had commercial success in the 1970s with hit singles "Sylvia's Mother", " The Cover of 'Rolling Stone'" (both 1972) ...

, Duran Duran,

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director. At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...

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, Sweathog,

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Louis CK Louis Alfred Székely (; born September 12, 1967), known professionally as Louis C.K. (), is an American stand-up comedian, screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. C.K. won three Peabody Awards, three Grammy Awards, six Primetime Emmy Awards, and a ...

Sam Kinison Samuel Burl Kinison ( ; December 8, 1953 – April 10, 1992) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. A former Pentecostal preacher, he performed stand-up routines that were characterized by intense sudden tirades, punctuated with his distinc ...

, Chris Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd,

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

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B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

Pepe Aguilar José Antonio Aguilar Jiménez (born August 7, 1968), better known as Pepe Aguilar, is an American singer. - Accessed on June 17, 2011. From a young age, Aguilar accompanied his parents, Mexican singer-actors Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestr ...

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Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

, Marvin Gaye,

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, Frankie Valli,

Rocio Durcal ''Rocio'' is a small genus of cichlid freshwater fishes from southern Mexico and northern Central America. Species There are currently four recognized species in this genus: * '' Rocio gemmata'' Contreras-Balderas & Schmitter-Soto, 2007 � ...

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, Frank Zappa, Engelbert Humperdinck,

Hall & Oates Daryl Hall and John Oates, commonly known as Hall & Oates, are an American pop rock duo formed in Philadelphia in 1970. Daryl Hall is generally the lead vocalist; John Oates primarily plays electric guitar and provides backing vocals. The two ...

Don Rickles Donald Jay Rickles (May 8, 1926 – April 6, 2017) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He became known primarily for his insult comedy. His film roles include ''Run Silent, Run Deep'' (1958) with Clark Gable, Carl Reiner's ''Enter La ...

, Phish, Fleetwood Mac, Etta James, The

Brian Setzer Brian Robert Setzer (born April 10, 1959) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly group Stray Cats, and returned to the music scene in the early 1990s with ...

Orchestra,

Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century wit ...

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Liberace Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordi ...

and

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among many other legendary performers. Mexican artist

Yuridia Yuridia Francisca Gaxiola Flores, commonly known as Yuridia, (born October 4, 1986) is a Mexican singer. She came in second place in the fourth season of the reality show '' La Academia'', which launched her career. In 2005, Yuridia released her ...

performed here on September 5, 2009. She returned for her "6 Tour" on November 5, 2016.

filmed his second HBO special, '' George Carlin: Again!'', here in 1978. It was considered the first stand-up comedy routine done "in the round". During a March 16, 1993, performance, Phish covered Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion". In 2012 Lil' Kim performed as a part of her

Return of the Queen Tour Return Of The Queen Tour is a headlining tour by United States, American rapper Lil' Kim. The tour, her first since 2010, was launched in support of her promotional singles and to mark her return to the music scene. The tour was first announced i ...

to mark her musical comeback. In February 2013,

Louis C.K. Louis Alfred Székely (; born September 12, 1967), known professionally as Louis C.K. (), is an American stand-up comedian, screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. C.K. won three Peabody Awards, three Grammy Awards, six Primetime Emmy Awards, and a ...

filmed his HBO special ''

Oh My God Oh My God, O My God, Oh My God! or Ohmigod may refer to: * the first words of the Act of Contrition, a Christian prayer * a common phrase frequently abbreviated as "OMG", often used in SMS messages and Internet communication, and sometimes euphem ...

'', his fifth full-length comedy special. The round stage was made blue in color, to resemble the way it appeared when George Carlin filmed ''George Carlin: Again!''.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1963 establishments in Arizona 1964 establishments in Arizona Buildings and structures in Phoenix, Arizona Music venues in Arizona Theatres in Arizona Tourist attractions in Phoenix, Arizona National Register of Historic Places in Phoenix, Arizona

Construction and features

Notable performances

See also

References

External links