Krannert Center for the Performing Arts facts for kids
The Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is a special place in Urbana, Illinois. It is on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. This big building is where people can enjoy many different kinds of shows. You can see music, dance, and plays here. A kind couple, Herman C. Krannert and his wife Ellnora Krannert, gave a lot of money to build it. The architect, Max Abramovitz, also went to the University of Illinois.
The center, often called "KCPA," has four main indoor stages and one outdoor theater. Together, these places can hold about 4,000 people. The main lobby is very grand. It has a floor made of special teak wood from Thailand. The walls are covered in beautiful marble from Italy. The Krannert Center first opened its doors in 1969.
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Stages and Performance Spaces
The Krannert Center has several unique theaters. Each one is designed for different types of performances.
Foellinger Great Hall: Amazing Sound
The Foellinger Great Hall is the biggest stage at the center. It has 2,078 seats. This hall is famous for its amazing sound quality. Many world-famous artists and music groups perform here every year. Big orchestras like the Chicago Symphony Orchestra have even recorded their music in this hall. Students and teachers from the University of Illinois School of Music also perform here often.
A special sound expert, Cyril M. Harris, designed the inside of the Great Hall. He also worked on famous places like the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. The hall's design is very balanced. All the walls are angled, not flat. This helps the sound bounce perfectly to everyone in the audience. Because of this, music usually does not need microphones to sound great.
Tryon Festival Theatre: For Operas and Ballets
The Tryon Festival Theatre has 974 seats on two levels. It was built mainly for operas. The sound here is designed to make voices sound their best. This theater also hosts ballets, dance shows, musicals, and plays. It has modern lighting and sound systems. Every December, the local Champaign-Urbana Ballet performs The Nutcracker here. A cool feature of this theater is that parts of the stage floor can be removed. This allows for special trap doors to be used in plays and musicals.
Colwell Playhouse: Perfect for Plays
The Colwell Playhouse has 674 seats. It is mostly used for plays and dance performances. The University's Departments of Theatre and Dance use this stage a lot. Touring shows also come here. Like the Festival Theatre, it has modern lighting and sound systems. The sound in this theater is made to help voices from the stage reach the audience clearly. The walls are shaped to reflect voices. The back walls are designed so there are no echoes.
Studio Theatre: For New Ideas
The Studio Theatre is a smaller stage with 200 seats. It is a "black box theatre." This means it is a simple, dark room that can be set up in many different ways. It is used for new and experimental performances. It is a place for students and performers to try out new ideas. Its smaller size makes it feel less scary for new performers. It also has modern lighting and sound systems.
Amphitheatre: Outdoor Fun
The Amphitheatre is an outdoor theater at the Krannert Center. It is a popular spot for students to relax and study when the weather is nice. It is also a common place for students to meet friends. Student groups have put on plays here, too.
Other Public Areas
The Krannert Center also has places for visitors to relax and eat.
Stage 5 Bar: A Place to Gather
The Stage 5 Bar is a lounge and small performance area. It is located in the main lobby. People use it for relaxing, meetings, and small concerts. It hosts events like "Afterglow concerts" and "Traffic Jam events." It is also home to "Krannert Uncorked," a wine tasting event for adults. The Stage 5 Bar serves drinks and snacks before and after most shows.
Intermezzo Cafe: Food and Snacks
The Intermezzo Cafe is on the north side of the lobby. It is between the Colwell Playhouse and the Studio Theatre. The cafe offers full meals, snacks, and drinks all day. It is also open before and after performances. The cafe uses many local products. It also offers organic and vegetarian choices. All the money from the cafe helps support events at the Krannert Center.
Behind the Scenes
The Krannert Center has many areas that the public does not see. These are where the magic happens! There is a full shop to build scenery for shows. There is also a costume shop. They have special rooms for choirs, orchestras, and dancers to practice. There is even a drama rehearsal room that is the same size as the main stages. The center has over 40,000 costume pieces. It also has tens of thousands of props stored away. Each large stage has its own dressing rooms for performers.
How the Building Was Designed
The main theaters (Festival, Playhouse, and Great Hall) are built as separate structures. They are not directly connected to the rest of the building. There are special rubber seals between them. This stops sound from traveling through the floors and walls. This helps keep each theater quiet.
The main hallway on the production level is extra wide and tall. This matches the size of the scenery shop and stage doors. This way, large pieces of scenery can be moved directly from the shop to the stages. They do not need to be taken apart and put back together.
All three large stages have special lifts. These lifts can be used to create a space for an orchestra. They can also add more seats or make the stage bigger. The Great Hall also has two walls in the balcony that can move. These walls can hide extra rows of seats behind the stage.
Famous Performances
Many famous artists and groups have performed at the Krannert Center.
Artists
- Anne-Sophie Mutter, a famous violinist - April 2025
- Renée Fleming, a soprano (singer) and actress - January 2025
- Ana Gasteyer, Actress - December 2023
- Emmylou Harris, Americana singer - September 2023
- Ben Folds, singer and songwriter - March 2023
- Christian McBride, Grammy-winning bassist - May 2022
- Joan Jett, American rock artist - September 2021
- Buddy Guy, Grammy-winning blues guitarist - September 2019
- Pat Metheny, Grammy-winning jazz artist - September 2019
- Joshua Bell, Grammy-winning violinist - April 2010, March 2004, February 2018
- Lang Lang, pianist - April 2010, March 2023
- Zakir Hussain, a famous tabla player - April 2008, October 2024
- Yo-Yo Ma, a famous cellist - March 2006
- Luciano Pavarotti, a famous tenor (singer) - October 1980
Ensembles (Groups)
- St. Olaf Choir - February 2012, February 2020
- China National Symphony Orchestra - February 2013
- National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba - October 2013
- Russian National Ballet Theatre - January 2011
- Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra - March 2006
- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - January 2006
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra - February 2005
- London Symphony Orchestra - May 2001
Festivals
The Krannert Center hosts the Ellnora Guitar Festival every two years in September. This festival started in 2005. It has featured great guitarists like Pat Metheny and Buddy Guy.
The center has also helped with the Pygmalion Music Festival every September since 2006. This festival brings indie rock artists to the center.
See also
- List of concert halls
