Tulsa Performing Arts Center facts for kids
View of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center from the corner of 3rd Street and Cincinnati Avenue.
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 Tulsa Performing Arts Center
Location in Oklahoma
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| Address | 110 E 2nd St. Tulsa, Oklahoma United States |
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| Coordinates | 36°9′15″N 95°59′22″W / 36.15417°N 95.98944°W |
| Owner | City of Tulsa |
| Type | Performing arts center |
| Capacity | Chapman Music Hall: 2,365 John H. Williams Theatre: 437 Liddy Doenges Theatre: 300 Charles E. Norman Theatre: 200 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | March 19, 1977 |
| Architect | Minoru Yamasaki |
The Tulsa Performing Arts Center, also known as Tulsa PAC, is a cool place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where you can watch live shows. It has four main stages, a studio, an art gallery, and a big hall for events. The largest stage is the Chapman Music Hall, which can hold 2,365 people!
Many local groups perform here regularly. You can see the Tulsa Ballet, Tulsa Opera, Tulsa Symphony, and even touring Broadway musicals. Other groups like Tulsa Town Hall and Theatre Tulsa also use the PAC. Famous performers like Michael Bublé, Kelly Clarkson, and Steve Martin have appeared on its stages. The center opened in 1977 and has a collection of 76 art pieces.
Since 2006, the Tulsa PAC has also run a ticketing company called MyTicketOffice.com. This company helps sell tickets for 12 different performance venues in Oklahoma and Texas.
Contents
History of the Tulsa PAC
The Tulsa PAC first opened its doors on March 19, 1977. It was built using money from both public and private sources. The famous architect Minoru Yamasaki, who also designed the original World Trade Center Towers, created the building's design. The City of Tulsa owns and runs the center.
Before the Tulsa PAC, the main theater in Tulsa was the Tulsa Municipal Theatre, now called the Brady Theatre. In the early 1970s, people realized a new, modern theater was needed. A special committee was formed to find the best solution.
A businessman named John H. Williams bought a large area of land downtown. He planned to build his company's headquarters there. He later changed his plans and gave some of his land to the City of Tulsa for a performing arts center. In May 1973, Williams and another generous person, Leta Chapman, made an offer: if Tulsa citizens voted to pay for half of the center, Williams and Chapman would raise the other half. The idea was very popular, and citizens voted to fund their part by a large amount (69%). This helped raise $14 million for the new Tulsa PAC.
Building the Center
To help construction move faster, a private group called PACI was created. This group managed the building project. After it was finished, they gave the PAC property back to the City of Tulsa.
The city also had a rule that 1% of all public building costs must be spent on art for that building. So, a committee chose 76 pieces of art for the PAC. This included art from local, national, and international artists, with many pieces by Native American artists. Artists like Alexandre Hogue and Barbara Hepworth have art here.
The first plan for the Tulsa PAC included one large hall and one smaller theater. But during construction, two more studio theaters were added! Experts from a company called Bolt, Berenek and Newman designed the sound system. They also worked on the sound for Lincoln Center in New York City. The final cost to build the Tulsa PAC was about $19 million.
In the early 1990s, the PAC was updated to make it easier for people with disabilities to use. In 2000, it got a big expansion. This added another studio theater, a large reception hall, and more restrooms.
Performance Stages
The Tulsa PAC has four main stages where shows happen: Chapman Music Hall, John H. Williams Theatre, Liddy Doenges Theatre, and Charles E. Norman Theatre. There are also two smaller event spaces.
Chapman Music Hall
This is the biggest stage at the PAC, with seats for 2,365 people. Many famous performers have been here, including Tony Bennett, Luciano Pavarotti, Norah Jones, and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Big Broadway musicals like The Lion King, Wicked, and The Phantom of the Opera have also played in this hall. The very first show here on March 19, 1977, featured Ella Fitzgerald and the Tulsa Philharmonic.
John H. Williams Theatre
This theater is a smaller version of the Chapman Music Hall and seats 437 people. It opened at the same time as the main hall in March 1977. You can see many different kinds of shows here, like chamber music, piano concerts, plays, and poetry readings. Famous performers who have been here include poet Billy Collins and jazz singer Marilyn Maye.
Liddy Doenges Theatre
This theater used to be called Studio I. It was renamed in 1994 to honor Liddy Doenges, a supporter of the arts. It's a "black box" theater, which means the seating isn't fixed. It can hold up to 300 people. Plays, special events, and cabaret shows are often held here.
Charles E. Norman Theatre
This theater was named after Charles E. Norman in 2000. He was a key leader who helped build the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. This theater seats about 200 people. It's used for plays, parties, master classes (where experts teach), and rehearsals.
Other Cool Spaces
Robert J. LaFortune Studio
This space is used for cabaret shows during the PAC's yearly SummerStage festival. It's also a place for press conferences, talks before shows, and cast parties. It can seat 100 people at tables or 200 for lectures. Robert J. LaFortune was the mayor of Tulsa when the PAC was being built.
Kathleen P. Westby Pavilion
This large hall is almost 3,000 square feet! It can seat about 160 people at tables or 240 for lectures. It's perfect for gatherings before or after shows, fancy parties, small concerts, and press events. The PAC named this hall in 2000 to honor Katie Westby, who helped create the PAC's art collection. The public can also rent this hall for their own events.
Awards and Recognition
The Tulsa Performing Arts Center has won many awards over the years:
- In 2015, it was named "Best Performing Arts Space" by Tulsa Voice readers.
- It was also an "A-List Winner" by Tulsa People in 2015.
- Tulsa World readers voted it "Best Performing Arts Venue."
- It received a "Certificate of Excellence" from Trip Advisor in 2015.
The Tulsa Performing Arts Center was one of the first 15 performing arts centers in the United States to have its own website!
In 2013, the Tulsa PAC's ticket office was named the "Outstanding Box Office" by the International Ticketing Association (INTIX).
The PAC's magazine, INTERMISSION, won "PR Magazine of the Year" in 2011 and 2013 in the Great Plains Journalism competition. It also won First Place for Best Public Relations Magazine in 2006-07 from the Society of Professional Journalists.
Tulsa People Magazine voted the Tulsa Performing Arts Center "Best Venue to Hear Music" in 1994. Oklahoma Magazine called the Tulsa PAC the "Place to See and Be Seen" in 2008.
