Denver Center for the Performing Arts sets the stage for great times
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is the Mile High City's venue for its resident Denver Center Theatre Company, national tours of Broadway shows and acting lessons for professionals and youngsters.
For years, the Denver Center Theatre Company, a Tony Award-winning company of actors, designers, craftsmen and technicians, has produced world premieres, along with staging classic and contemporary plays, such as Amadeus, Richard III and A Christmas Carol.
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts has also hosted Broadway tours of smash hits — Chicago, Cats, Mama Mia! and many others.
You can buy tickets online, by calling (303) 893-4100 or (800) 641-1222 or by TTY at (303) 893-9582. You can view a seating chart by clicking here.
The names get confusing, but the Denver Center is only the theater part of the huge Denver Performing Arts Complex — the second-largest such in the world, after the Lincoln Center in New York.
Located in downtown Denver on a four-block, 12-acre site, "The Plex" houses 10 performance spaces with a total of 10,000 seats, all under the umbrella of a single, 80-foot-high glass roof.
Boettcher Concert Hall is the home of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, while the Ellie Caulkins Opera House stages performances of the internationally acclaimed Opera Colorado and the Colorado Ballet.
While The Plex's smaller venues, such as Ricketson and Jones theaters work well for more intimate theatrical productions, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts showcases high-profile Broadway shows in the impressive Buell Theatre. With nearly 3,000 seats, this beautiful space boasts incredible acoustic enhancements and ranks as one of the top-grossing theaters for its size in America.
The Denver Center serves its 750,000 patrons each year by providing more than just great performances. Theater buffs can attend special events and black tie galas, learn to act from a veteran of the stage or take a backstage tour to see how it all comes together. There's even licensed childcare for those wishing to watch a play for their "date night."
You can easily walk to the Performing Arts Complex from downtown hotels; those coming from farther away might want to consider taking the light rail. If you plan on driving, don't count on parking in the facility or anywhere close, unless you arrive very early. Going to a show here is a special occasion, and you'll want to take your time to enjoy one of the best experiences in Denver.
Posted on Apr 19, 2011 by David Zindell
