Robert and Judi Newman Center for Performing Arts facts for kids

The Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts is a cool place for shows and learning on the University of Denver campus in Denver, Colorado. It's a big center where students and famous artists perform. Robert and Judi Newman helped raise money and gave a lot to build it. The center opened for classes in late 2002, and its main performance halls opened in spring 2003.

A bird's-eye view of the Newman Center for the Performing Arts.

The Newman Center looks like one huge building from the outside. But it's actually six separate buildings! Each part has its own foundation. They are separated by small gaps, about two inches wide. This special design helps stop sound from traveling between rooms. This means performances sound great and don't disturb classes.

The center has many spaces for learning and practice. It also has several places for performances. Virginia E. Trevorrow Hall is on the north side. It's home to the Lamont School of Music. This hall has many classrooms and practice rooms.

The three main performance areas are on the main floor:

• June Swaner Gates Concert Hall: This is a large hall, like an opera house. It has almost 1,000 seats.
• Frederic C. Hamilton Family Recital Hall: This is a smaller, cozy space. It has 222 seats. It's perfect for solo shows.
• Elizabeth Eriksen Byron Theatre: This is a flexible "black box" theater. It can seat up to 350 people.

The Galen and Ada Belle Spencer Foundation Meet-the-Artist Room is also there. It's a special room for events and gatherings.

The Newman Center hosts nearly 500 performances every year. These include theater, dance, jazz, world music, and classical music. Up to 150,000 people come to events each season. You can see international artists and local groups. The University of Denver's own talented musicians and actors also perform.

The center has a special program called "Newman Center Presents." It started in 2003. This program brings famous and rising artists from all over the world. Many of these artists perform in Denver for the first time. They also offer educational activities for students. Most shows at the Newman Center are open to everyone.

Gates Concert Hall: A Place for Big Shows

This is the most used performance space at the Newman Center. It is famous for its amazing acoustics, or how sound travels. Experts designed the sound system here.

Gates Concert Hall has a large stage. It also has a special area for the orchestra pit. A movable shell helps direct sound for full symphony and chamber orchestras. The audience sits in tiered seats, like steps.

The heating and cooling system is underground. This keeps mechanical noise from disturbing the show. Air flows slowly through vents in the floor. This reduces any "white noise" from the air. The walls are made of special plaster. Their shape helps create the wonderful sound.

Acoustic banners can be moved up or down. This changes how much sound echoes in the hall. It helps make the sound perfect for each show. Gates Concert Hall hosts operas, musicals, dance, jazz, and classical concerts. It can seat between 849 and 971 people. The number changes based on how the stage is set up. The hall also has several high-quality pianos.

Joy Burns Plaza: The Main Gathering Spot

This is the main area where people gather at the Newman Center. During the day, it's a lounge and study area for students and staff. In the evenings, it becomes the lobby for performances.

The Plaza looks very elegant. It has a high vaulted ceiling and large windows. Tall columns and beautiful alabaster chandeliers add to its charm. The floors are made of Italian travertine stone. The furniture was custom-made.

The M Allan Frank Family Box Office is in the Plaza. This is where you can buy tickets for shows. You can also buy tickets online.

Hamilton Recital Hall: Perfect for Soloists

This hall is used for solo performances. Students and teachers from the Lamont School of Music perform here. Other groups can also rent this hall.

Hamilton Hall has a special 9-foot concert grand piano. It also has the William K. Coors organ. This organ has 2,850 pipes! It was built by a famous company in Berlin. The hall seats 222 people.

Just like the Gates Concert Hall, this hall has movable acoustic banners. These banners can be raised or lowered. This helps control the sound and makes sure every performance sounds its best.

Byron Theatre: A Flexible Stage

This theater is also called the "Byron Flexible Theatre" or "the Flex." It's a great place for theater students to learn. They can practice how to put on a play here.

The theater can be set up in more than 40 different ways! This means the seating and stage can change for each show. It also has a practice room next door. Sometimes, professional shows are performed here. This often happens during the University of Denver's breaks. It can seat up to 350 people.

Virginia E. Trevorrow Hall: Home of Music

This is the north part of the Newman Center. It is mostly used by the Lamont School of Music. Teachers, staff, and music students use its facilities all year. The Lamont School of Music has about 300 music students. Other students who don't major in music also use the facilities.

Academic Spaces

This hall has many learning areas. These include offices for the Lamont School. There are modern classrooms and 42 studios for teachers. Students have 35 practice rooms on the Morey C. Ballantine Student Floor. There's also a conference room for meetings.

A recording studio is here too. It has a special drum booth with walls made of river rocks. This helps with sound. There's also an electronic piano lab and a music library. Students can relax in a student lounge.

Rehearsal Rooms

Many practice and rehearsal rooms are available. The Carol L. Moore Vocal Rehearsal Room is for opera and choral groups. The Instrumental Rehearsal Room is for the Lamont Symphony Orchestra and other bands. There is also a Jazz Rehearsal Room.

Virtual Practice Rooms are also available. These rooms have special systems. They can make a small room sound like a huge concert hall or a small club. This helps students practice in different sound environments. Student Practice Rooms are on the 5th floor. They are available first-come, first-served and each has a piano. The Lamont School of Music is known for having all Steinway pianos.

Carl and Lisa Williams Recital Salon

This room is used for solo and chamber music shows. It's also a large classroom for lectures. A popular event here is "Flo's Underground." This is a free, live jazz performance. Lamont jazz students perform here on Fridays during the school year. It seats 80 people.

Performing Arts Series

Newman Center Presents

This is the main series of shows open to the public. Newman Center Presents brings 20-25 performing artists each season. This series started when the Newman Center first opened in 2003-04.

Art in the Newman Center

The Newman Center is not just for performances. It also has many beautiful artworks, both outside and inside.

Outdoor Art

Bas Relief Sculptures

On the outside of the Newman Center, you can see three sculptures. They were made by Denver artists Madeleine Weiner and Kathy Caricof. Two of these are on the north wall of Trevorrow Hall. They show and celebrate music, like jazz (with trumpets and drums) and classical music (with opera and violins). The figures look full of energy, reminding everyone of the music inside. Each sculpture is 24 feet tall and carved from limestone.

Another sculpture is on the west patio, by the Byron Theatre. It shows three characters from an old Italian theater style called Commedia Dell’Arte. You can see Colombina, who is shy, and Arlecchino, who points to a throne where you can sit. A smaller figure, Pantalone, holds a purse with coins falling out. There's even a hat on the ground filled with coins! Look closely for cute bunnies under the characters' feet. They even have tiny masks!

Bowlen Family Sundial

On the south side of the Gates Concert Hall, there is a vertical sundial. It was inspired by sundials in Italy. It has two sets of numbers to tell time. The larger set is for summer when the sun is high. The smaller set is for winter when the sun is lower.

Saunders Family Rose Window

You can find the Saunders Family Rose Window in the student lounge on the fifth floor of Trevorrow Hall. The architects wanted the Newman Center to have its own rose window. But instead of a church design, they wanted a real rose. An architect picked a rose from the university's garden. Then, it was carved by hand into Indiana limestone. The rose is now the Newman Center's logo. Roses are often given to performers after a concert.

Indoor Art

"Harlequin"

Inside the west entrance, you'll see a sculpture called "Harlequin." It was made by Marion Buchan around 1957. Buchan used to teach art at the University. This sculpture was moved to the Newman Center in 2002 after being carefully restored.

"Trio and Tone Shapes"

In the west lobby, there's a bronze sculpture called "Trio and Tone Shapes." Arnold Rönnebeck made it. It was originally planned for a school auditorium in 1939 but was thought to be "too modern." It was later brought to the University's art collection.

Flemish Tapestry

As you go up the grand staircase in Joy Burns Plaza, you'll see a large Flemish tapestry. It was a gift from Robert and Judi Newman. It was made a long time ago, in the late 1500s or early 1600s. The tapestry shows a scene from "The Story of Moses" or "Exodus." You can see Moses, his brother Aaron, and their sister Miriam. Miriam is the largest figure and is leading people in celebration with music.

"Chenrezig" Painting

On the stage level elevator lobby on the west side, there is a beautiful painting on fabric called "Chenrezig." It was finished in 2007 by Lobsang Choegyal and Sarika Singh. This painting shows the Mandala of Chenrezig, who is a symbol of kindness and caring. In 2004, Tibetan monks made a sand mandala in the Newman Center. This painting was made to remember that special event. Thangka painting is a unique Tibetan art form. It is both art and a way to help with spiritual practice.

Illuminated Manuscript Page

In the same elevator lobby, you can also see an old illuminated manuscript page. It's from Northern Italy or France, made around 1380-1420. This page was once part of a music book used in church. It shows the Last Supper scene inside a large letter "C." The words on the page are about being fed and rejoicing.

"Allegro"

Inside the Hamilton Family Recital Hall, you'll find a sculpture called "Allegro." Anne Cunningham made it. It looks like a pet parrot that belonged to the director of the Lamont School of Music when the Newman Center opened. Students and teachers gave this sculpture as a gift.

"Play it Again, Philippe"

The Marvin and Judi Wolf Conference Room has a unique artwork called "Play it Again, Philippe." Lee Milmon created it in 1988. Milmon was an artist who studied and taught at the University of Denver.