Texas Trust CU Theatre facts for kids
|
The Theatre of the Future
|
|
Exterior view of venue in 2016
|
|
| Former names | Texas ShowPlace (planning/construction) NextStage Performance Theater (2002–04) Nokia Live (2004–10) Verizon Theatre (2010–18) The Theatre at Grand Prairie (2018-21) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1001 Performance Pl Grand Prairie, TX 75050-7965 |
| Location | Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex |
| Owner | City of Grand Prairie |
| Operator | AEG Live |
| Capacity | 6,350 |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1999–2002 |
| Opened | February 2002 |
| Construction cost | $63 million ($111 million in 2022 dollars ) |
The Texas Trust CU Theatre is a cool concert hall in Grand Prairie, Texas. It is about 16 miles west of Dallas and 24 miles east of Fort Worth. You can find it close to Lone Star Park and Grand Prairie Stadium. The city of Grand Prairie owns this theatre. A company called AEG helps run it. It is a popular spot for many different shows!
Contents
History of the Theatre
Building the Theatre
The idea for this theatre came up in 1998. It was planned as a new place for shows, replacing an older arena in Dallas. A company called NextStage Entertainment Corporation owned the project. The theatre was built in Grand Prairie to help the city's economy grow. It was also hoped to bring more visitors to the area.
Construction started in the summer of 1999. However, building was delayed for 14 months. This happened because the cost of the project went up. The final cost to build the theatre was about $63 million.
Opening and Early Names
The venue was first known as "Texas ShowPlace" during its planning. It was designed to host concerts and plays for the Dallas–Fort Worth area. The theatre officially opened in February 2002. At that time, it was called the "NextStage Performance Theater." It could hold up to 6,350 people.
Art and Name Changes
In May 2002, the theatre hired an artist named Cabe Booth. He was asked to paint oil portraits of the performers and famous people who visited. The performers sign their portraits. These paintings are then displayed backstage and in the office areas. By 2007, there were over 300 of these paintings. Some of them were moved to the main lobby for everyone to see.
In 2004, a company called Nokia Corporation bought the right to have the theatre named after them. This is called "naming rights." For six years, the theatre was known as "Nokia Live." In February 2010, Verizon Wireless took over the naming rights for ten years. The theatre's name then changed to the "Verizon Theatre."
On July 27, 2018, the theatre dropped "Verizon" from its name. It became "The Theatre at Grand Prairie." Then, on April 27, 2021, Texas Trust Credit Union signed a naming rights deal. This changed the theatre's name to its current one: "Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie."
Performances and Events
Since it opened, the theatre has hosted many different types of shows. These include Broadway productions and family shows. Some popular family shows have been Sesame Street Live, Yo Gabba Gabba! Live!, and The Doodlebops Live!.
Many famous music artists have performed here. This includes bands like The Scorpions, Fifth Harmony, Ratt, The Killers, Paramore, The Smashing Pumpkins, and ZZ Top. Solo artists like Demi Lovato, Janet Jackson, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Justin Bieber, Michael Bublé, Alicia Keys, Kylie Minogue, Alanis Morissette, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Coldplay, Robert Plant, and Stevie Nicks have also played at the theatre.
The theatre has also hosted many K-pop groups from South Korea. Some of these include BTS, VIXX, 2PM, B.A.P, B1A4, GOT7, DAY6, Boyfriend, EXO, SHINee, Monsta X, Seventeen, Wanna One, NCT 127, NCT Dream, Astro, Stray Kids, Tomorrow X Together, The Boyz, and Ateez. Girl groups like Red Velvet and (G)I-DLE have also performed.
Christian worship services have also taken place here. Groups like Hillsong United and Joseph Prince Ministries have held events.
The theatre was also part of the Super Bowl XLV celebrations. Music parties for the Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam were held there. These events featured artists like Kid Rock, Duran Duran, and Jason Derulo. Latin artists Jenni Rivera, Chino Y Nacho, and Dulce Maria also performed for the NFL Pepsi Musica Super Bowl Fan Jam. There was even a special CMT Crossroads show with The Pretenders and Faith Hill.
