Denver Performing Arts Complex facts for kids
The Denver Performing Arts Complex, often called the "Arts Complex," is a huge place in Denver, Colorado. It is one of the biggest performing arts centers in the United States. This amazing complex covers four city blocks, which is about 12 acres (4.9 hectares). It has ten different places where shows happen, with more than 10,000 seats in total.
All these spaces are connected by a tall glass roof, about 80 feet (24 meters) high. The Arts Complex is home to a professional theater group. It also hosts popular Broadway musicals, modern dance, ballet, choirs, symphony orchestras, opera shows, and even pop music concerts.
The City and County of Denver’s Arts & Venues department owns and runs the three largest theaters here. These are the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, the Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre, and the Boettcher Concert Hall. The Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex, which is also part of the Arts Complex, is managed by the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
Many famous performing arts groups perform regularly at the Arts Complex. These include the Colorado Ballet, the Colorado Symphony, and Opera Colorado. The Denver Center for the Performing Arts also has its own theater groups, like Denver Center Broadway and Denver Center Theatre Company.
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Exploring the Performance Spaces
The Denver Performing Arts Complex has many different places for shows. Each one is special!
Ellie Caulkins Opera House
The Ellie Caulkins Opera House is a main venue inside the Quigg Newton Denver Municipal Auditorium. It is a beautiful place designed for opera and other grand performances. This opera house can seat 2,225 people.
Buell Theater
The Buell Theater is perfect for big musicals, exciting plays, and funny comedy shows. It is designed to make sure the sound is clear for everyone. This theater has a large seating capacity of 2,884.
Boettcher Concert Hall
The Boettcher Concert Hall is very unique. It was the first symphony hall in the United States built "in the round." This means the audience sits all around the stage, making you feel very close to the performers. It can seat 2,679 people.
Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex
The Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex has four different theaters inside it. Each one offers a different kind of experience for theater lovers.
Wolf Theater
The Wolf Theater is the biggest theater within the Bonfils Theatre Complex. It used to be called the Stage Theater. It can seat 601 people. This theater has special walls that make the sound even better. It also has a "thrust stage," which means the stage sticks out into the audience. It was updated in 2020 and 2021. Its new name honors people who have supported Denver's theater community for a long time.
Kilstrom Theater
The Kilstrom Theater was renamed in 2021. Before that, it was known as the Space Theater. It was updated in 2017 to make it easier for people using wheelchairs to get around.
Singleton Theater
The Singleton Theater was previously called the Ricketson Theater. It was recently renamed to honor William Dean Singleton, who helped create the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. This theater was also recently updated to have easier elevator access. It has 250 seats and a "proscenium theater" style, which means the audience looks at the stage through a frame, like a picture. It was first built as a movie theater for art films.
Jones Theater
The Jones Theater has 200 seats and a thrust stage, similar to the Wolf Theater. It has its own entrance from outside the building. This theater is often used for more experimental and new types of shows.
Garner Galleria Theater
The Garner Galleria Theater is a smaller, more intimate space. It has a seating capacity of 210 people.
Donald R. Seawell Grand Ballroom
The Donald R. Seawell Grand Ballroom is a large, five-sided room with amazing views of the mountains. This space is about 10,000 square feet (929 square meters) and can hold up to 1,029 people. It can be used for many different events and performances. It has its own kitchen, tables, chairs, a portable dance floor, and special lighting and sound systems.
Sculpture Park
Right outside the complex, at the corner of N. Speer Blvd. and Champa St., you'll find Sculpture Park. It's famous for two giant sculptures that locals sometimes call 'the dancing aliens' because of how big they are. Their official name is:
- Dancers by Jonathan Borofsky. These sculptures are two silver-colored dancers, each 60 feet (18 meters) tall. They are made of steel and fiberglass.
See also
- List of concert halls
