The Ferguson Center for the Arts is a theater and concert hall on the campus of

Christopher Newport University Christopher Newport University (CNU) is a public university in Newport News, Virginia. It was founded in 1960 and is named after Christopher Newport, captain of one of the ships which carried settlers of Jamestown, the first permanent English ...

Newport News Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, United States. The complex fully opened in September 2005 with two concert halls and many other facilities.

Performing arts venues

The Ferguson Center for the Arts contains three distinct, separate concert halls: the Diamonstein Concert Hall, the Peebles Theater, and the Studio Theater.

Diamonstein Concert Hall

Diamonstein Concert Hall is the flagship auditorium in the complex. The hall is acoustically engineered so that anyone on stage can be heard from any seat without a microphone. The hall has 1,725 seats.

Peebles Theater

A 453-seat theater in the Ferguson Center for the Arts complex.

The Studio Theater

A 200-seat theater in the Ferguson Center for the Arts complex.

Other facilities

The building also contains rehearsal halls, a dance studio, full scenery, prop and costume shops, arts studios, Ferguson Hall Art Gallery, the Falk Gallery, music practice rooms, and many educational classrooms and other learning areas. The majority of these rooms opened in the Fall of 2005.

History

Formerly, the Ferguson High School was located at 1 University Place. The name "Ferguson" is well known in the Newport News area because

Homer L. Ferguson Homer Lenoir Ferguson (March 6, 1873 – March 14, 1953) was an author and businessman. He was president of Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia, from July 22, 1915, through July 31, 1946. Biography Ferguson w ...

was the President of the nearby Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company. The high school was named after him. Additionally, Newport News is home to the corporate headquarters of Ferguson Enterprises, a leading plumbing-supply company. Ferguson Enterprises sponsored the construction of the center, and was granted naming rights as a result of their contribution.

Construction

The Ferguson Center was designed by

Henry N. Cobb Henry Nichols Cobb (April 8, 1926 – March 2, 2020) was an American architect and founding partner with I.M. Pei and Eason H. Leonard of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, an international architectural firm based in New York City. Early life Henry N. ...

Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Pei Cobb Freed & Partners is an American architectural firm based in New York City, founded in 1955 by I. M. Pei and other associates.

. The center was constructed in two phases. The first phase of construction was completed in the summer months of 2004. The first phase completed the 440 seat Music and Theater Hall and a 200-seat Studio Theater. The second phase of construction was completed a year later. This added a 1,700-seat Concert Hall that was acoustically designed for stage performance. Most likely, when "The Ferguson Center" is mentioned outside of

, this is what is being referred to. The construction was led by two opening acts. Tony Bennett performed in the Music and Theater hall on September 1, 2004. During the show,

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birt ...

remarked: "They don't make theaters like this anymore!". Actor and singer

Michael Crawford Michael Patrick Smith, (born 19 January 1942), known professionally as Michael Crawford, is an English tenor, actor and comedian. Crawford is best known for playing both the hapless Frank Spencer in the sitcom '' Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'' a ...

opened the Concert Hall on September 12, 2005. The New York Pops accompanied him that night. FergusonCenterPanorama02

Criticism

As theater plans and construction progressed, there was criticism within the CNU community, that money being spent on the project could be better spent in different academic ways. The university originally planned that the Ferguson Center would be unavailable for use by the university's music and theater departments, and any other non-administrative function on campus. The idea was to simply have a concert hall on campus. This policy was removed, and the

’s theater, music and art departments are now housed in the center academic section of the building, This is the section of the building between the Concert Hall, and the Music and Theatre Hall.

External links

The Ferguson Center for the Arts
Official Website

Pei Cobb Freed & Partners

References

* Ferguson Center for the Arts Playbills for

Amy Grant Amy Lee Grant (born November 25, 1960) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She began in contemporary Christian music (CCM) before crossing over to pop music in the 1980s and 1990s. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christia ...

and the

St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra The Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra (russian: Симфонический оркестр Санкт-Петербургской филармонии, ''Symphonic Orchestra of the Saint Petersburg Philharmonia'') is a Russian orchestra based ...

(2007)
The Ferguson Center for the Arts
Official Website (2007) {{DEFAULTSORT:Ferguson Center For The Arts Theatres in Virginia University and college arts centers in the United States Christopher Newport University Concert halls in the United States Buildings and structures in Newport News, Virginia Culture of Newport News, Virginia Tourist attractions in Newport News, Virginia 2005 establishments in Virginia Performing arts centers in Virginia Art museums and galleries in Virginia