AT&T Performing Arts Center facts for kids

The AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas, Texas, is a special place where many different kinds of shows happen. It's located in the Dallas Arts District. You can see amazing performances like opera, musical plays, classic theater, and all sorts of dance, including ballet. This big center opened its doors on October 12, 2009. It cost about $354 million to build, mostly from private donations.

Three famous architectural companies helped design different parts of the center. These were Foster and Partners from London, Office for Metropolitan Architecture from Rotterdam and New York City, and REX from New York.

Cool Places to See Shows

The Winspear Opera House looks amazing at night.

The AT&T Performing Arts Center has four main places for performances and a lovely park:

• The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House is a beautiful opera house with seats for about 2,200 people. It's named after Margot and Bill Winspear, who gave a very generous gift of $42 million to help build the center. This is where the Dallas Opera and Texas Ballet Theater perform.
• The Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre is a tall, twelve-story building with lots of space, about 80,300 square feet. It can hold around 600 people, and the stage can be set up in different ways for various shows. It's the home for the Dallas Theater Center, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico. Dee and Charles Wyly donated $20 million to the center.
• The Annette Strauss Square is an outdoor area where you can watch shows on a big lawn. It has space for about 2,500 people.
• The Elaine D. and Charles A. Sammons Park is a large, 10-acre park that connects all the different buildings. It was designed by Michel Desvigne from Paris. Sammons Enterprises, Inc. gave $15 million for the park, honoring Elaine D. and Charles A. Sammons. This park was the biggest public park in downtown Dallas until Klyde Warren Park opened in 2012.

Who Performs Here?

The AT&T Performing Arts Center is home to five main performing groups:

• The Dallas Opera
• The Dallas Theater Center
• The Texas Ballet Theater
• Dallas Black Dance Theatre
• Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico

Besides these groups, the center also puts on its own shows. It works with other groups from Dallas and around the country to bring all kinds of cultural performances. This includes music concerts, dance shows, Broadway plays, and interesting talks.

In its first season, from 2009 to 2010, the center hosted over 500 performances! There were four brand-new shows that premiered there. Famous performers like Billy Crystal, Frank Langella, and Hilary Swank have been on its stages. Great singers like José Carreras and Ben Heppner, and jazz musicians like Ramsey Lewis and Al Jarreau also performed.

How the Center Was Built

Raising Money

The idea for the center started in 2000. The goal was to raise $275 million. Most of the money, over 93%, came from private donations, not from the government. By January 2008, they had reached their goal of $275 million.

The two biggest gifts came early on. Margot and Bill Winspear gave $42 million in 2002. Dee and Charles Wyly, along with Cheryl and Sam Wyly, gave $20 million in 2004. The third largest gift was $15 million from Sammons Enterprises, Inc. in September 2008. This gift honored Elaine D. and Charles A. Sammons.

Building and Opening

Construction on the center began in November 2005. The official dedication ceremony was held on October 12, 2009. After that, there was a special Grand Opening week with many performances, concerts, and talks about the buildings. Kevin Duncan helped produce these opening events. On Sunday, October 18, 2009, there was a community open house. People enjoyed free outdoor concerts, art shows, family activities, and fireworks.

Naming the Center

On September 15, 2009, the company AT&T announced that the center would be named after them. As part of this agreement, the center became one of the most high-tech performing arts places in the country. It has AT&T Wi-Fi service, so visitors can get free internet access. AT&T also offers special mobile apps for its wireless customers.