McCaw Hall facts for kids
Interior of McCaw Hall in 2007
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| Former names | Seattle Opera House (1962–2001) Civic Auditorium (1928–1959) |
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| Address | 321 Mercer Street Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 47°37′26″N 122°21′04″W / 47.624°N 122.351°W |
| Owner | City of Seattle |
| Type | Concert hall |
| Capacity | 2,963 |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1927–1928 |
| Opened | May 18, 1928 (original) April 21, 1962 June 28, 2003 |
| Renovated | 2002–2003 1959–1962 |
| Construction cost | $90 million |
| Website | |
| mccawhall.com | |
Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, often called just McCaw Hall, is a famous place in Seattle, Washington, where people go to watch amazing shows. It's located at the Seattle Center, a big park area. The main groups that perform here are the Seattle Opera and the Pacific Northwest Ballet. The building is named after Marion Oliver McCaw because her four sons gave a lot of money to help make it new and modern in 2003. Before it was called McCaw Hall, it had other names like the Civic Auditorium and the Seattle Opera House.
Contents
History of McCaw Hall
Early Days as Civic Auditorium
The building first opened its doors in 1928. Back then, it was known as the Civic Auditorium. A local businessman named James Osborne helped pay for it. Also, people in Seattle voted to use public money for its construction. The land for the building was given to the city by David Denny, one of the people who helped start Seattle.
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The Civic Auditorium quickly became a popular spot. It was the home for the Seattle Symphony orchestra. Many other traveling shows also came to perform there.
The World's Fair and Opera House
In 1956, people in Seattle voted again to expand the Civic Auditorium. This was to get it ready for a huge event called the World's Fair. Construction started in 1959.
The building reopened on April 21, 1962, as the Seattle Opera House. This was the very first day of the World's Fair! The opening night featured a special performance by the Seattle Symphony. Famous composer Igor Stravinsky was a guest conductor, and talented pianist Van Cliburn was a guest soloist.
During the World's Fair, the Opera House was a busy place. It hosted live TV shows like The Ed Sullivan Show. There was even a discussion about science fiction with writers Ray Bradbury and Rod Serling. Many concerts and dance performances from all over the world also took place there.
The Seattle Opera company started in 1963 and held its first season in the Opera House in 1964. The Pacific Northwest Ballet was founded in 1972 and began performing there in 1973. The Seattle Symphony played its last concert in the Opera House in 1998. They then moved to a new building called Benaroya Hall.
A New Look: McCaw Hall Renovation
In 1999, voters approved another plan to give the Opera House a big makeover. The most exciting renovation and expansion of the building began in 2002.
A pioneer in cell phone technology, Craig McCaw, and his three brothers, gave $20 million to help pay for the construction. Because of their generous gift, the newly renovated building was named Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. It was named after their mother. The company LMN Architects was in charge of the renovation. McCaw Hall officially opened in late June 2003. The very first concert in the newly updated venue happened on September 29, 2003.
See also
In Spanish: Ópera de Seattle para niños
- Kreielsheimer Promenade
