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, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...
, in
Tucson
Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...
, and was the campus auditorium, designed by campus architect
Roy Place 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, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...
,
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt ( ; October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...
,
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...
,
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American professional baseball player who became the first Black 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'' from 1962 to 1981. During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trust ...
.
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.
See also
*
Broadway in Tucson
References
External links
UApresentsat UApresents.org
Broadway in Tucsonat BroadwayInTucson.com
University of Arizona
Culture of Tucson, Arizona
Tourist attractions in Tucson, Arizona
Event venues established in 1937
1937 establishments in Arizona
Buildings and structures in Tucson, Arizona