Civic Center Music Hall
Encyclopedia
The Civic Center Music Hall is a performing arts center located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
. It was founded in 1937 and includes the Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre, the Freede Little Theatre, CitySpace, the Meinders Hall of Mirrors and the Joel Levine Rehearsal Hall.
The Civic Center Music Hall is managed and operated in conjunction with Stage Center and the Rose State Performing Arts Theatre. Together they serve more than 300,00 patrons at around 250 performances at six different stages each year. The center is home to eight professional arts organizations: Black Liberated Arts Center, Canterbury Choral Society, Celebrity Attractions, Lyric Theatre and Academy, Oklahoma City Ballet, Oklahoma City Philharmonic
, Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre, and Oklahoma City Theatre Company.
programs in the 1930s contributed to 55 percent of the cost of building what would become the Civic Center Music Hall through the Public Works Administration
. J.O. Parr began planning and designing the Municipal Auditorium budgeted at $1.25 million. The original design features a 6-story building with both neoclassical and Art Deco
features that seated 6,200 in the main hall and smaller theatre that seated 400.
In August 1935, the Roosevelt Administration announced that all PWA project had to break ground by December 1935 or risk losing federal support. W.S. Bellows Construction became the primary contractor for the Municipal Auditorium and began on-site excavation on time. The Municipal Auditorium was completed in April 1937. The first performance, “Rhapsodic Rhythms” took place on October 4, 1937.
In 1966, the Municipal Auditorium was remodeled and renamed the Civic Center Music Hall. The main auditorium was renovated to cater more to the performing arts by decreasing the size of the hall, moving the side wall in and installing mahogany panels, lowering the ceiling and replacing the portable floor with a sloped fixed floor. In 1971, the basement was converted into office space and later converted back to the theatre space and dressing rooms.
The Little Theatre was closed in 1985 because it was damaged from old age, abuse and a fire. It was later renovated and reopened to the public.
In September 2001, the Civic Center Music Hall reopened after a 3 year renovation. A complete interior renovation of the historic Civic Center Music Hall includes accommodations for major theatrical, dance and musical groups; a multi-story atrium; balconies, box seats and suites; excellent acoustics; and a hydraulic orchestra pit.
that supports the Civic Center Music Hall financially to help bring performing arts to Oklahoma City to improve the community.
The Civic Center Foundation has helped make capital improvements include the Civic Center Music Hall’s new message center and improvements to the Freede Little Theatre.
The foundation raises funds through two programs, the Seat Back Campaign and the Suite Holder Program. Patrons can help the Civic Center Music Hall by purchasing personalized seat back plates at the Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre or by become a suit or box holder at the Civic Center Music Hall.
The Civic Center Music Hall is also home to STARS, a volunteer group of more than 300 people who contribute thousands of hours each year.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
. It was founded in 1937 and includes the Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre, the Freede Little Theatre, CitySpace, the Meinders Hall of Mirrors and the Joel Levine Rehearsal Hall.
The Civic Center Music Hall is managed and operated in conjunction with Stage Center and the Rose State Performing Arts Theatre. Together they serve more than 300,00 patrons at around 250 performances at six different stages each year. The center is home to eight professional arts organizations: Black Liberated Arts Center, Canterbury Choral Society, Celebrity Attractions, Lyric Theatre and Academy, Oklahoma City Ballet, Oklahoma City Philharmonic
Oklahoma City Philharmonic
The Oklahoma City Philharmonic is the most prominent performing orchestra in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and its environs.- History :The first Oklahoma City orchestra was formed as early as 1924. The Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1938 with Ralph Rose conducting its inaugural season...
, Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre, and Oklahoma City Theatre Company.
History
In 1927, the Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce and the city jointly purchased the land that would become home to the Civic Center Music Hall after voters approved a $4 million bond for the site. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New DealNew Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
programs in the 1930s contributed to 55 percent of the cost of building what would become the Civic Center Music Hall through the Public Works Administration
Public Works Administration
The Public Works Administration , part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Recovery Act in June 1933 in response to the Great Depression...
. J.O. Parr began planning and designing the Municipal Auditorium budgeted at $1.25 million. The original design features a 6-story building with both neoclassical and Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
features that seated 6,200 in the main hall and smaller theatre that seated 400.
In August 1935, the Roosevelt Administration announced that all PWA project had to break ground by December 1935 or risk losing federal support. W.S. Bellows Construction became the primary contractor for the Municipal Auditorium and began on-site excavation on time. The Municipal Auditorium was completed in April 1937. The first performance, “Rhapsodic Rhythms” took place on October 4, 1937.
In 1966, the Municipal Auditorium was remodeled and renamed the Civic Center Music Hall. The main auditorium was renovated to cater more to the performing arts by decreasing the size of the hall, moving the side wall in and installing mahogany panels, lowering the ceiling and replacing the portable floor with a sloped fixed floor. In 1971, the basement was converted into office space and later converted back to the theatre space and dressing rooms.
The Little Theatre was closed in 1985 because it was damaged from old age, abuse and a fire. It was later renovated and reopened to the public.
In September 2001, the Civic Center Music Hall reopened after a 3 year renovation. A complete interior renovation of the historic Civic Center Music Hall includes accommodations for major theatrical, dance and musical groups; a multi-story atrium; balconies, box seats and suites; excellent acoustics; and a hydraulic orchestra pit.
Foundation and volunteer organizations
The Civic Center Foundation, established in 2001, is a private non-profit organizationNon-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that supports the Civic Center Music Hall financially to help bring performing arts to Oklahoma City to improve the community.
The Civic Center Foundation has helped make capital improvements include the Civic Center Music Hall’s new message center and improvements to the Freede Little Theatre.
The foundation raises funds through two programs, the Seat Back Campaign and the Suite Holder Program. Patrons can help the Civic Center Music Hall by purchasing personalized seat back plates at the Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre or by become a suit or box holder at the Civic Center Music Hall.
The Civic Center Music Hall is also home to STARS, a volunteer group of more than 300 people who contribute thousands of hours each year.