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 special place for shows and concerts. It is located near the Padre Canyon in Ivins, Utah. This large center opened in 1995. It has a big outdoor theater with 1,920 seats. There is also a smaller indoor theater and other spaces for dance and costumes. Tuacahn helps the arts by putting on many plays and concerts. They also have a "Christmas in the Canyon" event with a live nativity scene.

History of Tuacahn

Tuacahn was started in 1995 by a writer named Douglas C. Stewart. He worked with a kind businessman, Hyrum W. Smith. They wanted to create a place to share stories about Utah's early people and settlers. They built the center on 80 acres of land. The outdoor theater was designed by Seven Nielsen. It even included a special water system for a flash-flood effect in the first musical, Utah!.

Building the Center

During construction, two Mojave desert tortoises were found. These tortoises are an endangered species. This stopped the building work for a while. The Fish and Wildlife Service investigated the situation. In August 1994, an agreement was made. The foundation paid a fine and agreed to protect the tortoises. They built special fences and tunnels under the road. This helped keep the tortoises safe during and after construction.

Opening and the Utah! Musical

Tuacahn opened in April 1995. A special dedication was held with Gordon B. Hinckley and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

The first show was a musical called Utah!. It told the story of how southern Utah was settled. The show used the natural canyon as a backdrop. It had cool lighting, fireworks, live animals, and even a flash flood on stage! Some parts of the story were sensitive for the audience. Because of this, the show was rewritten several times. Utah! was last performed in 2002.

Broadway in the Desert

In 1999, people were less interested in Utah!. So, Tuacahn decided to change its shows. They started putting on popular, family-friendly Broadway musicals. The first shows in this new style were Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. These shows were very popular with visitors from all over the world.

In 2002 and 2003, shows like Annie Get Your Gun and The Wizard of Oz broke all ticket sales records. In 2005, Tuacahn celebrated its tenth season. They presented Beauty and the Beast. This show was also a huge success. It started a long partnership between Tuacahn and Disney Theatricals.

Tuacahn was chosen to be one of the first theaters to perform Les Misérables after its Broadway run. They also got the rights to perform Disney's Tarzan and The Little Mermaid. The 2014 season was their most successful ever. Over 260,000 people visited to see The Little Mermaid, The Wizard of Oz, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Learning Programs

Tuacahn first planned to have a private school. But it was hard for students to get there because of the remote location.

In 1999, Tuacahn opened a new school. It became Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts. This high school helps students get ready for college. It also focuses on arts like music, dance, theater, and visual art. The school has won many awards. More than 30% of its graduates go on to get four-year college degrees.

Performance Areas

Tuacahn has two main places where they put on shows.

Tuacahn Amphitheater

The Tuacahn Amphitheater is a large outdoor theater. It has 2,500 seats. The seats are in three sections and have backs and arms. You enter from the back and walk down stairs to your seat. If you have trouble walking, it's best to sit near the top. The stage is open to the desert and red rock cliffs behind it. This area has special lights, sound, and water effects. A concrete riverbed was built for a huge 55,000-gallon flood effect. This effect was made for the Utah! show. It has been used in many other shows at Tuacahn since then.

The Hafen Theater

The Hafen Theater is an indoor theater with 328 seats. It is part of the Tuacahn High School. Sometimes, professional shows are performed here too.

Other Spaces

The black box theater and dance studio are mostly used for school classes and rehearsals. They are not usually used for public shows.

Shows in the Amphitheater

Shows in the Hafen Theatre

See also

• List of outdoor theaters