Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts facts for kids
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| Address | 18000 Park Plaza Drive |
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| Location | Cerritos, California |
| Coordinates | 33°52′03″N 118°03′42″W / 33.86759°N 118.06168°W |
| Owner | City of Cerritos |
| Operator | City of Cerritos |
| Type | Performing arts center |
| Capacity | 1,721 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | January 9, 1993 |
| Architect | Barton Myers Associates |
The Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (or CCPA) is a huge entertainment and music venue in Cerritos, California. It's about 154,000 square feet, which is really big! The City of Cerritos owns and runs it.
The CCPA opened on January 9, 1993. It hosts many different kinds of shows. You can see opera, jazz, dance, magic, and drama here. They also have musicals and comedy acts. The show season usually runs from August to May each year.
Contents
How the Center Was Built
People started talking about building a community theater in Cerritos back in 1986. But some worried it might be too big. They feared it would not have enough visitors compared to other places in Southern California.
Experts from London, David Staples and Wally Russell, helped calm these worries. They showed how the Derngate Theatre in England worked. This theater had seats on rollers that could be moved around. This meant the seating could change for each show! Nothing like it existed in the United States at that time.
Architects Barton Myers Associates from Los Angeles were hired to design a similar amazing place for Cerritos. Once everyone felt better, they decided to build a large venue. It would be big enough to compete with other famous theaters. These included the Long Beach Terrace Theater and the Los Angeles Music Center.
In 1987, the plans included a main auditorium with six different seating styles. There was also a 5,100 square foot conference center. A smaller 200-seat theater with its own sound and lights was also planned. Construction began soon after.
The building is a city landmark. It has cool glass walls and pink limestone. You can also see colorful ceramic tiles and sharp, angled designs. A glass elevator tower with pyramids and thin spires finishes the outside look. Inside, the lobby has a curved grand staircase with fancy etched glass. There is also a stylish fireplace and high ceilings.
The center was first expected to cost $17 million. But the final price tag was over $60 million!
More than 6,000 people visited the CCPA when it was finished. For its first season, the center had $4 million to bring in shows. The famous singer Frank Sinatra performed for three nights on opening night. This helped the Cerritos Center become a top venue in Southern California.
The city council knew it would take time to get many visitors. They wanted the center to support itself. So, they set aside $2 million to help pay for shows and running costs. This was on top of the $3 million expected from ticket sales.
Amazing Seating Options
The CCPA's main auditorium is 6,000 square feet. It has six different ways to arrange the seats! This is possible because parts of the seating can move. There are also floor lifts and moving ceiling panels. It takes about eight hours or less to change from one setup to another. This makes the center very flexible for different performances.
- Arena - This setup has 1,691 to 1,721 seats. About 500 seats are on the main floor. Box seats and balconies surround them. It's great for popular music, comedy, and jazz shows. [1]
- Cabaret - This style has 1,324 to 1,504 seats. It can have up to 67 tables and 412 chairs on a flat floor. Box seats and balconies are around the edges. It's perfect for jazz and other music performances. [2]
- Concert - This setup has 1,493 to 1,629 seats. The seating goes all around the stage. Special ceiling panels help with the sound. It's used for orchestras, recitals, and acoustic shows. [3]
- Drama - This is a 921 to 1,083-seat proscenium theater. A proscenium means there's a frame around the stage, like a picture. It's used for plays, recitals, and chamber music. [4]
- In the Round - This setup has 1,845 to 1,934 seats. The audience sits all around the stage. It's used for popular music, comedy, and jazz performances. [5]
- Lyric - This is a 1,311 to 1,391-seat proscenium theater. It's used for musical theater, dance, and popular music shows. [6]
Other Cool Rooms
The Sierra Room (also called the Sierra Theater) at the Cerritos Center is very modern. It has special tracks and walls that can move. This lets them divide the 5,100 square foot space. It can be one big room or up to five smaller meeting areas.
A hidden seating unit can open up in part of the room. This creates the Sierra Room Theater. It's great for fashion shows, guest speakers, and presentations. The room also has a great sound system, lighting, and a dance floor. This makes it perfect for parties and wedding receptions. [7]
The Mojave Room and the Grand Lobby can also be rented. They are good for smaller business meetings, luncheons, and receptions. [8]
Awards and Special Recognition
The Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts has won many awards! These awards show that it's a really special place.
- From 1993 to 2001, Amusement Business Magazine named it one of the Top 10 Venues in the U.S. for places with 5,000 seats or less.
- In 1995, Performance Magazine called it "Theater of the Year."
- In 1994, it received the Honor Award from the United States Institute of Theater Technology.
- It won the Concrete Industry Paving Award in 1993.
- It also won the Cabrillo Chapter of American Institute of Architects Design Award in 1993.
In 1994, the USITT gave the CCPA its highest honor. They said it was "The most sophisticated project we've seen" for its design and technology. Performance Magazine also recognized the center. They named it the number one theater in California (for places under 3,000 seats) for three years in a row! [9]
See also
- Cerritos, California
- Cerritos Auto Square
- Cerritos Millennium Library
- Cerritos Senior Center at Pat Nixon Park
- Cerritos Towne Center
- Los Cerritos Center
