Celebrity Theatre facts for kids
Celebrity Theatre
(once known as "Phoenix Star Theatre") |
|
| Former names | Phoenix Star Theatre |
|---|---|
| Address | 440 N 32nd Street Phoenix, Arizona 85008 United States |
| Owner | Richard Hazelwood - Celebrity Theatre, LLC |
| Type | Theater in the round |
| Capacity | 2,650 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1963 |
| Architect | Perry Neuschatz |
| Structural engineer | T. Y. Lin International |
| General contractor | E. L. Farmer Construction Company |
The Celebrity Theatre is a special kind of performance space in Phoenix, Arizona. It's known as a "theater in the round" because the stage is in the middle, and the audience sits all around it. This unique design lets everyone feel close to the action!
Contents
Building the Celebrity Theatre
The Celebrity Theatre was designed by an architect named Perry Neuschatz from Beverly Hills. He created the building to be a place for many different events. It opened its doors in 1963.
The building is 196 feet wide and was built to be a concert hall in the winter. It was even updated in 1995. In 2019, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical building!
Cool Features of the Stage
The stage at Celebrity Theatre is completely round and 30 feet wide. What's really cool is that the entire stage can slowly spin! It can turn a full circle in about two hours. This way, everyone in the audience gets to see every part of the stage during a show.
No matter where you sit, you're never more than 70 feet from the stage. This makes every seat feel like a great one! The theatre can also change its setup if needed.
Famous Shows and Performers
The Celebrity Theatre first opened on January 13, 1964, with the musical "South Pacific." Since then, many famous stars have performed there.
Some of the amazing performers include:
- George Carlin
- Van Halen
- Joe Cocker
- Diana Ross
- Billy Joel
- Def Leppard
- Sammy Davis Jr.
- Sir Tom Jones
- Black Sabbath
- Smashing Pumpkins
- Chris Rock
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- David Bowie
- Iron Maiden
- B.B. King
- Olivia Newton-John
- Marvin Gaye
- Frankie Valli
- Frank Zappa
- Hall & Oates
- Jeff Beck
- Don Rickles
- Phish
- Fleetwood Mac
- Etta James
- Wayne Newton
- Liberace
Special Comedy Shows
The Celebrity Theatre has been a popular place for comedians to film their TV specials.
- In 1978, George Carlin filmed his comedy special George Carlin: Again! here. It was one of the first stand-up comedy shows filmed "in the round."
- In 2013, Louis C.K. filmed his special Oh My God. The stage was made blue, just like it was for George Carlin's special.
- In 2022, Nate Bargatze filmed his special, Hello World, which came out in 2023.
