Tuacahn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tuacahn Center for the Arts

Address	1100 Tuacahn Drive Ivins, Utah United States
Coordinates	37°11′29″N 113°39′33″W / 37.1913°N 113.6592°W / 37.1913; -113.6592
Owner	Tuacahn Center for the Arts
Type	Outdoor Amphitheatre
Capacity	1,920
Production	Disney's Beauty and the Beast, School of Rock, The Count of Monte Cristo
Construction
Opened	April 1995
Architect	Mesa Consulting Group Inc.

The Tuacahn Center for the Arts is a cool place for shows and art, located right at the start of Padre Canyon in Ivins, Utah. It's super close to Snow Canyon State Park. This big building, which is about 42,000 square feet, was finished in 1995. It has a huge outdoor theater with 1,920 seats, a smaller indoor theater, a special "black box" theater, a dance studio, and even shops where they make costumes and sets for plays. It's also home to Tuacahn High School for the Arts.

Tuacahn helps the arts by putting on two or three big shows in its outdoor amphitheater each year. They also have concert series in the spring and fall. Plus, they host a special "Christmas in the Canyon" event every year, which includes a live show of the nativity story called the "Festival of Lights."

History

Tuacahn was started in 1995 by a writer named Douglas C. Stewart. He teamed up with a kind businessman, Hyrum W. Smith. Their idea was to create a place to tell the stories of Utah's old inhabitants and early settlers. They built this dream on 80 acres of land. Seven Nielsen designed the outdoor theater, which included a large pond and a special system for a flash-flood effect used in the first musical, Utah!.

Building the Center

While Tuacahn was being built, a special type of turtle called the Mojave desert tortoise (which is an endangered animal) was found. This caused construction to stop for a bit. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service investigated to make sure these important animals were safe.

In August 1994, an agreement was made. The Tuacahn foundation paid a fine and agreed to take special steps to protect the tortoises. This included building "tortoise-proof fences" and special tunnels under the road so wildlife could pass safely.

Opening and Utah!: the Musical Spectacular

Tuacahn officially opened in April 1995. The dedication ceremony included Gordon B. Hinckley and the famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

The first show at Tuacahn was a musical called Utah!. It told the dramatic story of how southern Utah was founded. The show used the natural canyon setting in amazing ways. They lit up the red rock cliffs and used cool special effects like fireworks, live animals, and even a flash flood that came across the stage! Over time, the story of Utah! was rewritten several times to make sure everyone in the audience felt comfortable and enjoyed the show. The last time Utah! was performed was in 2002.

Broadway in the Desert

After Utah! finished its run, Tuacahn decided to try something new in 1999. They started putting on popular, family-friendly Broadway musicals. This new idea was a huge hit! The first shows were Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. People from all over the United States and 25 other countries came to see them.

In 2002, shows like Annie Get Your Gun and Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat broke all previous ticket sales records. This happened again in 2003 with The Wizard of Oz. In 2005, Tuacahn celebrated its tenth season with Beauty and the Beast and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, which also sold more tickets than ever before.

This success with "Disney's Beauty and the Beast" started a long partnership between Tuacahn and Disney Theatricals. Tuacahn was chosen to be one of the first theaters outside of Broadway to perform big shows like Les Misérables in 2006, and later Disney's Tarzan and The Little Mermaid. The 2014 season, with The Little Mermaid, The Wizard of Oz, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, was their most successful season ever, with over 260,000 visitors!

Educational Programs

Tuacahn also has a school! It was first planned as a private school. But because of its location, it wasn't very successful at first.

In 1999, Tuacahn decided to reopen the school as a public charter high school. Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts is a high school that helps students get ready for college while also focusing on music, dance, theater, or visual art. The school has won many awards, including first place at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Over 30% of students who graduate from Tuacahn High go on to get a four-year college degree.

Venues

Tuacahn has two main places where they put on shows.

Tuacahn Amphitheater

The Tuacahn Amphitheater is a large outdoor theater with 2,500 seats. It has three sections of seats (Left, Right, Center) and 32 rows. All the seats have backs and arms, but they are not cushioned. You enter the amphitheater from the back and walk down stairs to your seat. If you have trouble with stairs, it's best to sit near the top (back) of the amphitheater. There's extra leg room in row O, which is sometimes used by actors who walk through the audience during shows. Wheelchair seating is available only in the very back row (FF).

The stage is open at the back, showing off the beautiful desert landscape and red rock cliffs. These cliffs have special lights, sound systems, fireworks, and water effects built into them. A concrete riverbed was built during construction to create a huge 55,000-gallon flood of water that comes from the back of the canyon and across the stage! This amazing water effect has been used in many Tuacahn productions.

The Hafen Theater

The Hafen Theater is an indoor theater with 328 seats. It's part of the Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts building. Sometimes, professional shows are also performed in this theater.

Black Box and Dance Studio

The black box theater and dance studio are mostly used for school classes, rehearsals, and special events. They are not usually used for public performances.

Productions in the Amphitheater

Productions in the Hafen Theatre

See also

• List of contemporary amphitheaters