Saratoga Performing Arts Center facts for kids
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SPAC
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| Address | 108 Avenue of Pines, Saratoga Springs, New York, U.S. Saratoga Springs United States |
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| Location | Saratoga Springs, New York, U.S. |
| Owner | State of New York |
| Operator | Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Inc. (popular music concerts booked by Live Nation) |
| Type | Outdoor amphitheatre |
| Seating type | reserved, lawn |
| Capacity | 5,103 seats, 20,000 on lawn |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1964-1965 |
| Opened | July 9, 1966 |
The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) is a big outdoor concert hall called an amphitheatre. It's located in Saratoga Springs, New York, inside the beautiful Saratoga Spa State Park. SPAC is famous for its summer shows, which include classical music, jazz, pop, rock, country, comedy, and dance.
SPAC first opened its doors on July 9, 1966. The very first performance was a ballet called A Midsummer Night's Dream by the New York City Ballet.
This center is the official summer home for two famous groups: the New York City Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra. The ballet stays for one week in July, and the orchestra performs for three weeks in August.
SPAC is also a popular place for high school graduations. Many local schools, like Saratoga Springs and Shenendehowa, hold their ceremonies here. Even Skidmore College has its graduation at SPAC.
Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Inc. is a special non-profit group that manages the center. They have a long-term agreement with New York State, which owns the land and buildings. SPAC works with Live Nation to bring in popular music and rock concerts. The money from these concerts helps support the classical music and dance shows.
Contents
History of SPAC: How it Started
In 1961, a newspaper writer named Duane La Fleche had an idea. He heard that the New York Philharmonic orchestra might move its summer shows to Vermont. La Fleche suggested they stay in New York and perform in Saratoga Springs instead.
Local leaders quickly got excited about building an arts center in Saratoga. They held their first meeting within a week. Soon, they decided that Saratoga Spa State Park would be the perfect spot. They also started talking with both the New York Philharmonic and the New York City Ballet.
By 1963, people and groups like the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and New York State had given money to help create SPAC. In June 1964, Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller helped start the construction. Over 300 workers spent many hours building the main amphitheater. It has 5,103 seats and is 10 stories tall! The big lawn area, which can hold 20,000 people, was added later.
Famous Performers at SPAC
Harry Belafonte was the first non-classical artist to perform at SPAC in 1967. Then, in 1968, the Doors played a show. This started a tradition of bringing many top pop and rock stars to SPAC.
Many famous musicians have performed here. Jackson Browne even recorded a song backstage in 1977. Whitney Houston filmed parts of her music videos and TV performances on the SPAC stage in 1987.
Other big names who have played at SPAC include:
- Bon Jovi
- Phish
- Santana
- Tina Turner
- Guns N' Roses
- Coldplay
- Aretha Franklin
- Rush
- Demi Lovato
- KISS
- Dave Matthews Band
- Britney Spears
- Prince
- Pearl Jam
- Jay-Z
- Bruce Springsteen
- Pink Floyd
- Avril Lavigne
- John Mayer
- Nicki Minaj
- Paul Simon
- Selena Gomez
- Tom Petty
- Drake
- Snoop Dogg
- Def Leppard
- Christina Aguilera
- The Beach Boys
- Imagine Dragons
- Ozzy Osbourne
- Slipknot
- Journey
- Elton John
- Justin Bieber
- Janet Jackson
- Eric Clapton
- Phil Collins
- The Grateful Dead
In 2013, the Farm Aid concert was held at SPAC. Big stars like Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, and Willie Nelson performed to help farmers.
What's Happening at SPAC Today?
SPAC continues to be the summer home for the New York City Ballet and The Philadelphia Orchestra. Famous classical musicians like Yo-Yo Ma and Yuja Wang often perform here.
The Philadelphia Orchestra's most popular show is their annual Festive Fireworks performance. It usually includes the exciting 1812 Overture and other well-known pieces.
Every summer, SPAC also hosts a Jazz Festival. This event features both famous and new jazz artists on two different stages.
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center also puts on shows in the smaller Spa Little Theatre.
Besides classical music, SPAC is a big place for non-classical concerts. These shows are organized by Live Nation.
The popular rock band Phish has played at SPAC many times since 1992. They have even done three-night shows in recent years.
Sting performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2010.
The Dave Matthews Band has played at SPAC a record 44 times! They have sold out more concerts here than any other artist. They even recorded two live albums at SPAC.
For many years, SPAC has hosted the School of Orchestral Studies (SOS). This program is for high school students who love music. They get to watch concerts, learn from members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and even perform in the amphitheater themselves.
Elizabeth Sobol is currently in charge of SPAC. Over 200 people work there during the summer to make sure everything runs smoothly.
The largest crowd ever at SPAC was for The Grateful Dead in 1985, with over 40,000 fans! After that, SPAC limited its capacity to 25,103 people for safety.
See also
- List of outdoor concert venues
- Live Nation
