Stamford Center for the Arts facts for kids
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| Address | 61 Atlantic Street 307 Atlantic Street Stamford, Connecticut United States |
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| Coordinates | 41°03′04″N 73°32′24″W / 41.0511686°N 73.5400128°W |
| Capacity | Palace: 1,580 Truglia: 757 |
| Current use | concert hall (Palace) television studio (Rich) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1927 (Palace) 1992 (Rich) |
| Architect | Thomas W. Lamb (Palace) |
| Tenants | |
| NBCUniversal (Rich) | |
The Palace Theatre is a cool place in downtown Stamford, Connecticut, United States. It's actually made up of two main buildings on Atlantic Street. These are the historic Palace Theatre and the modern Rich Forum. They are both close to each other, just a few blocks apart.
Contents
What You Can See and Do Here
The Palace Theatre complex offers many different spaces for shows and events. It's a busy hub for arts and entertainment.
The Palace Theatre Building
The original Palace Theatre is located at 61 Atlantic Street. It has 1,580 seats, so lots of people can watch shows there.
History of the Palace Theatre
This theatre first opened its doors in 1927. It was designed by a famous architect named Thomas W. Lamb. Back then, it was a vaudeville house. Vaudeville was a popular type of entertainment with many different acts. The theatre was later fixed up and reopened in 1983. Since then, it has hosted live plays, music concerts, and art shows. Recent upgrades have made the stage bigger. There are also new dressing rooms and better technical equipment.
The Rich Forum Building
The Rich Forum opened in 1992. You can find it at 307 Atlantic Street. This building has several different areas inside.
Spaces Inside the Rich Forum
- Truglia Theatre: This is a traditional theatre with 757 seats. It's great for plays and other performances.
- Leonhardt Studio: This is a "black box" theatre. It's a smaller, more flexible space. It's perfect for more personal or experimental shows.
- Mercede Promenade: This is the main lobby area. It's where people gather before and after shows.
- Rossi Salon: Located on the upper level, this room offers a great view of downtown Stamford.
- Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Gallery: This gallery overlooks the Mercede Promenade. It often displays art.
TV Shows Filmed at Rich Forum
The Rich Forum is also known as the Stamford Media Center. NBCUniversal runs this part of the complex. They use it to film popular TV talk shows. Shows like The Steve Wilkos Show and Karamo are filmed here. In the past, shows like Maury, Jerry Springer, and The Trisha Goddard Show were also filmed at this location.
Performances and Artists
Both the Rich Forum and the Palace Theatre host many different groups. These include the Connecticut Grand Opera and Orchestra and the Stamford Symphony Orchestra. Other groups like the Ballet School of Stamford also perform here.
Many famous performers have appeared at these theatres. Some well-known names include Lily Tomlin, Peter, Paul & Mary, Tom Jones, B.B. King, Harry Belafonte, Ray Charles, Liza Minnelli, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Willie Nelson, and Tony Bennett.
Television Production Hub
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In March 2009, it was announced that several TV shows would move their filming to the Rich Forum. These included Jerry Springer, Maury, and The Steve Wilkos Show. The state of Connecticut offered special tax credits to encourage this. These credits helped cover production costs and building improvements. The Trisha Goddard Show also filmed here from 2012 to 2014. Stamford Media Center Productions is a part of NBCUniversal.
See also
- Arts and culture in Stamford, Connecticut
- List of concert halls
