Stevens Center facts for kids
The Stevens Center is a fantastic place where many amazing shows happen! It's a big performing arts center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It's part of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) and is a busy spot for concerts, plays, and dance shows.
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A Look Back: The Stevens Center's Story
The Stevens Center wasn't always a performing arts center. It started as a movie theater called the Carolina Theater. In 1980, a newspaper called the Winston-Salem Journal gave the building to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA).
The school then spent about $9.6 million to make it into the beautiful center we see today. It officially opened on April 22, 1983, with a huge party! Famous people like conductor Leonard Bernstein, violinist Isaac Stern, and actor Gregory Peck were there. Even former President Gerald Ford and his wife, and former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson, attended the celebration.
The Stevens Center faced some challenges early on, like money issues and tax questions. They even tried bringing in preview shows for Broadway musicals, but it didn't work out financially. Despite these hurdles, the center kept going strong! Today, the Stevens Center is super busy, with rehearsals or shows happening almost every day of the year.
What's Inside?
The Stevens Center is a very large building with lots of space for performances and other activities.
- It has two main levels for seating: the Orchestra (main floor) and the Balcony (upper level).
- There are 1,380 seats, so lots of people can enjoy a show at once!
- The building is 10 stories tall, which is pretty impressive.
Who Uses the Stevens Center?
Many different groups and artists use the Stevens Center for their performances. It's a popular spot for music, dance, and film events.
- Piedmont Opera
- Piedmont Wind Symphony
- Winston-Salem Symphony
- NC Dance Festival
- RiverRun International Film Festival (a movie festival!)
- The American rock band Daughtry even filmed their music video for the song "September" right here at the Stevens Center!
The building also has many offices and is home to the UNCSA Community Music School, where people of all ages can learn music.
UNCSA Student Performances
Students and groups from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) perform many of their shows at the Stevens Center.
- The holiday classic The Nutcracker
- UNCSA's big musicals, like their fiftieth-anniversary show of West Side Story
- UNCSA Symphony Orchestra
- UNCSA Wind Ensemble
- A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute's Winter Opera
- UNCSA School of Dance's Spring Dance shows
