Lutcher Theater facts for kids
| Address | 707 Main Street Orange, Texas United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 30°05′30″N 93°44′09″W / 30.09159°N 93.73596°W |
| Owner | Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation |
| Capacity | 1,450 |
| Opened | 1980 |
The Lutcher Theater is a special place in Orange, Texas. It's a big theater where you can watch amazing shows. It opened in 1980 and can hold 1,450 people. Many people, about 30,000 each year, come to see performances here. It's one of the biggest performing arts centers between Houston, Texas, and New Orleans, Louisiana.
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What's Inside the Lutcher Theater?
The Lutcher Theater is a tall building with six floors. It's the highest building in downtown Orange! It has 1,450 seats for the audience. About 870 seats are on the main floor. The other 567 seats are in the balcony upstairs. The stage is very large. It is 45 feet wide and 30 feet high. There is also a special area called an orchestra pit. This pit can be lowered. This makes more room for the audience if needed. The theater has a great sound system. It also has special headphones for people who have trouble hearing. The building is easy to get around for people with disabilities.
Awesome Shows and Performances
Since it opened in February 1980, the Lutcher Theater has hosted many famous performers. The very first show featured the famous musician Liberace. The theater is a place for all kinds of performing arts. You can see traveling Broadway plays here. There are also musical groups and one-person shows.
Some of the famous performances include:
- Chris Botti
- Lyle Lovett and His Large Band
- Jim Brickman
- Marcel Marceau
- Ray Charles
- Victor Borge
- The Pirates of Penzance
- David Copperfield
- Glenn Miller Orchestra
- 42nd Street
- Biloxi Blues
- Singin' in the Rain
- The Music Man
- Sweet Charity
- Cabaret
- Shirley Jones
- Dreamgirls
- Barbara Mandrell
- Driving Miss Daisy
- Steel Magnolias
- Little Shop of Horrors
- My Fair Lady
- Lost in Yonkers
- Trisha Yearwood
- Cats
- Grease
- The Sound of Music
- West Side Story
- Fiddler on the Roof
- The King and I
- Footloose
- Tom Chapin
- Death of a Salesman
- La bohème
- Rent
- Willie Nelson
- Riverdance
- B. B. King
- Clint Black: Up Close and Personal
- Evita
- Hairspray
- Annie
- Marvin Hamlisch
- Movin’ Out
- Skillet
- Decyfer Down
Educational Programs for Kids
The Lutcher Theater has a special program called the "Series for Kids." It's one of the biggest children's performing series in all of Texas! It's the largest in Southeast Texas. This series brings in amazing shows from all over the world. Popular children's stories like Old Yeller and The Velveteen Rabbit have been performed. These shows happen during the week. Students often come on field trips to watch them. Teachers even get study guides. This helps them connect the shows to what students are learning in class.
The Nelda C. and H. J. Lutcher Stark Foundation
The Lutcher Theater is owned by the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation. This foundation was started in 1961 in Orange, Texas. Their main goal is to make life better for people in Southeast Texas. They do this by supporting education, the arts, and health services. The foundation helps many places in the community. These include the Stark Museum of Art, the W. H. Stark House, the Lutcher Theater, and Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. These places offer fun and learning about art, history, and nature.
