The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, also called the PAC, is a performing arts center in downtown

Appleton, Wisconsin Appleton ( mez, Ahkōnemeh) is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. One of the Fox Cities, it is situated on the Fox River, southwest of Green Bay and north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the c ...

, USA. The Center is the home of the

Broadway Across America Broadway Across America (BAA) is a presenter and producer of live theatrical events in the United States and Canada since 1982. It is currently owned by the John Gore Organization (formerly Key Brand Entertainment), which purchased it from Live ...

– Fox Cities series, the Boldt Arts Alive! series, the Thrivent Education Series, and the Fox Valley Symphony. The Center has hosted the Wisconsin premieres of the Broadway blockbusters Disney’s The Lion King, The Producers, Wicked, and

Jersey Boys ''Jersey Boys'' is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is presented in a documentary-style format that dramatizes the formation, success and eventual break-up of the ...

Billy Elliot ''Billy Elliot'' is a 2000 British coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Lee Hall. Set in County Durham in North East England during the 1984–1985 miners' strike, the film is about a working-class boy w ...

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 origin ...

, and Kinky Boots. President George W. Bush delivered a speech at the Center during a campaign stop on March 30, 2004. In 1999, Aid Association for Lutherans, now Thrivent, contributed $10 million – the largest philanthropic corporate gift in the history of the Fox Cities – towards the building of the Center. The Center’s board of directors and volunteer fundraisers raised $45 million in private contributions from over 2,700 local residents and businesses. The

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

-based Zeidler Partnership Architects was hired to design the Center and in May 2000, the O.J. Boldt Construction Company began construction on the Center. Artec, Inc. provided acoustical and theatrical consulting for the Center. The Center opened on November 25, 2002, 31 months after breaking ground. The Center is composed of: *Thrivent Hall. The theater’s proscenium separates a stage (Wisconsin’s second largest) from the 2,100-seat theater of which no seat is further than from the stage. The theater walls are finished in a red Veneciano plastering technique, which complements the red seats and brass accents. *Kimberly-Clark Theater. The flexible black-box space featuring retractable telescoping seating risers and a portable stage platform. This 450-seat theater is used for receptions, banquets, lectures, and intimate music and theatrical presentations. *Founders Room. A private room located off the Dress Circle Lobby that accommodates meetings or receptions of up to 75 people. *Entrance 21. A private lounge located on the Dress Circle level available for pre-performance and intermission small gatherings during events at the Center.

References

External links

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Appleton, Wisconsin Wisconsin culture Tourist attractions in Outagamie County, Wisconsin Performing arts centers in Wisconsin 2002 establishments in Wisconsin Event venues established in 2002