Centennial Hall is located on the campus of the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first ...

, in

Tucson , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

, and was the campus auditorium, designed by campus architect

Roy Place Roy is a masculine given name and a family surname with varied origin. In Anglo-Norman England, the name derived from the Norman ''roy'', meaning "king", while its Old French cognate, ''rey'' or ''roy'' (modern ''roi''), likewise gave rise t ...

and using the signature red brick that is a part of almost all UA buildings. The auditorium opened in 1937 and presented musical programs, as well as stage plays, to the student community as well as to the general public. The auditorium was also used as a general lecture hall. From 1947-1984, the auditorium hosted the Tucson Sunday Evening Forum. Many prominent American figures appeared at the Forum, including Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

, John F. Kennedy,

Jackie Robinson Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line ...

, and

Walter Cronkite Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the ''CBS Evening News'' for 19 years (1962–1981). During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the mo ...

. The facility was extensively renovated in 1985 at a cost of over $4 million, and was renamed to honor the University's 100th anniversary. The theatre is operated by UApresents, the University of Arizona's professional performing arts component. UApresents brings the world's finest theatre, dance, spoken word, classical, jazz and world music to Southern Arizona. It also continues to host university lectures as well. In 2010, the Broadway in Tucson series announced it would bring the smash Broadway hit '' Wicked'' to Tucson. This was the first time a Broadway in Tucson show played at Centennial Hall. The presentation of ''Wicked'' was co-sponsored by UApresents; subsequently this represented the first partnership between the two organizations.

References

External links

UApresents
at UApresents.org
Broadway in Tucson
at BroadwayInTucson.com University of Arizona Culture of Tucson, Arizona Tourist attractions in Tucson, Arizona Event venues established in 1936

See also

References

External links