Overture Center for the Arts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Overture Center for the Arts

Main entrance to Overture Center. The facade was originally part of Yost's Department Store.
Address	201 State Street Madison, Wisconsin United States
Coordinates	43°4′28″N 89°23′19″W / 43.07444°N 89.38861°W / 43.07444; -89.38861
Public transit	Metro Transit
Operator	Overture Center Foundation
Type	performing arts center
Capacity	Overture Hall: 2,255 Capitol Theater: 1,089 The Playhouse: 347 Promenade Hall: 252 Rotunda Stage: 350
Construction
Opened	1928 (Capitol Theatre)
Reopened	1980 (Madison Civic Center) 2004 (Overture Center for the Arts)
Architect	Cesar Pelli

The Overture Center for the Arts is a super cool place in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. It's a big building where you can watch amazing shows like plays, concerts, and ballets. It also has art galleries where you can see beautiful artwork!

The Overture Center first opened its doors on September 19, 2004. It took the place of an older building called the Civic Center.

History of the Center

This awesome center was a gift to the city from two generous people: Jerome "Jerry" Frautschi and Pleasant Rowland. Pleasant Rowland is famous for creating the American Girl dolls!

The building was designed by a very famous architect named César Pelli. He also designed the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia, which are two of the world's tallest twin skyscrapers! He also designed Brookfield Place in New York City.

Jerry Frautschi and Pleasant Rowland paid for the entire building, which cost a lot of money – over $200 million! The Overture Center was built on the same spot where the old Madison Civic Center used to be, right on State Street.

Since it opened in 2004, the Overture Center has had several different leaders.

Amazing Performance Spaces

The Overture Center has many different rooms and theaters, each designed for special performances or events.

Overture Hall

Overture Hall is the biggest theater in the center, with seats for 2,251 people! It has four levels of seating and looks really cool. It was designed so that the sound of music and voices would be perfect. This hall has a special seating style where there are no aisles in the middle, which helps make the seats bigger and the sound even better.

Inside Overture Hall, you'll find the Pleasant Rowland Concert Organ. This is a huge, custom-built organ made by a famous German company called Orgelbau Klais. The Madison Symphony Orchestra, Madison Opera, and Madison Ballet often perform here.

Capitol Theater

The Capitol Theater used to be a movie theater built in 1928! When the Overture Center was being built, this theater was carefully restored and made a bit smaller. It reopened in November 2005.

This theater can seat up to 1,089 people on its main floor and balcony. It also has a special organ built by the Barton Organ Company from Oshkosh. The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and CTM Madison Family Theatre perform here regularly. You can also catch many traveling shows and concerts!

Playhouse

The Playhouse is a smaller, more cozy theater. It was updated to be the home for the Madison Repertory Theatre. Now, the Forward Theater Company performs here.

Promenade Hall

Promenade Hall is a flexible room. It has bleachers that can fold out from the walls, turning it into a performance space for up to 300 people. The Kanopy Dance company often performs in this hall.

Rotunda Stage

You can find the Rotunda Stage on the lower level of the center. It's mostly used for the "Kids in the Rotunda" shows, which are super popular with families! This is the only performance space that's open to the public during regular hours. It has bright pink walls and floors, and cool permanent seats. It's also used for parties, meetings, and other performances.

Wisconsin Studio and Rotunda Studio

These two rooms are mainly used for rehearsals and meetings. But they can also be set up as "black box" theaters. A black box theater is a simple, dark room that can be changed to fit any kind of performance. They can seat up to 200 guests!

Awesome Art Galleries

The Overture Center has four art galleries where you can see amazing visual art. The Overture Galleries show art from local artists and groups in Wisconsin.

The center also has the James Watrous Gallery, which is run by the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. This gallery shows bigger art exhibits and installations from artists in the region. Both galleries are free to visit and open to everyone!

Famous Performers You Might Know

Many famous artists and groups have performed at the Capitol Theater and Overture Center. Here's a list of some of them:

See also

• List of concert halls