Peabody Auditorium facts for kids
| Address | 600 Auditorium Blvd Daytona Beach, Florida  United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 29°13′38″N 81°00′38″W / 29.22735°N 81.01057°WCoordinates: 29°13′38″N 81°00′38″W / 29.22735°N 81.01057°W |
| Capacity | 2,521 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1919 |
| Rebuilt | 1948 |
The Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach, Florida has been home to performances of the Daytona Beach Symphony Society for over sixty years and was the summer home of the London Symphony Orchestra for forty years. The 2,521 seat venue hosts touring Broadway shows, headline performers, opera, drama, and comedy performances. In addition to in-house programming, presenters include civic ballet, schools, cheerleading, bodybuilding and dance competitions, non-profit and for-profit promoters.
History
The original structure, built in 1919, enjoyed appearances by many of the world’s most famous performers and orators including Rudolph Nureyev and Sergei Rachmaninoff, but was destroyed by fire in 1946. After considerable planning by the Daytona Beach City Commission and civic donors, the current Peabody Auditorium was built on the same site and opened to the public in early 1949. It was named Peabody Auditorium in honor of Simon J. Peabody who donated the land and was instrumental in building the original auditorium. Artist Fred Dana Marsh, completed the exterior sculptures of four muses. The original Peabody Auditorium that burned in 1946 was on the mainland on south Beach Street, not at its present location.
Entertainment
The theatre has a long history of presenting international stars of arts and entertainment including Elvis Presley, Tony Bennett, James Taylor, Liza Minnelli, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Seinfeld and David Copperfield. The Peabody has also hosted many Broadway productions including CATS, 42nd Street, Chicago, STOMP, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Riverdance.
