McCaw Hall
McCaw Hall at Seattle Center in 2013
|
|
| Former names | Seattle Opera House (1962–2001) Civic Auditorium (1928–1959) |
|---|---|
| Address | 321 Mercer Street Seattle, Washington |
| Coordinates | 47°37′26″N 122°21′04″W / 47.624°N 122.351°WCoordinates: 47°37′26″N 122°21′04″W / 47.624°N 122.351°W |
| Owner | City of Seattle |
| Type | concert hall |
| Capacity | 2,963 |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1927–1928 |
| Opened | 28 June 2003 21 April 1962 18 May 1928 (original) |
| Renovated | 2002–2003 1959–1962 |
| Construction cost |
$90 million |
| Website | |
| mccawhall.com | |
$90 million
Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, formerly known as the Civic Auditorium and Seattle Opera House, is a performing arts hall in Seattle, Washington, United States. Located on the grounds of Seattle Center and owned by the city of Seattle, McCaw Hall's two principal tenants are the Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet. The building is named for Marion Oliver McCaw, whose four sons donated $20 million to fund a major renovation in 2003.
The building originally opened in 1928 as the Civic Auditorium. Its construction was funded by a donation from Seattle saloon owner James Osborne and a voter-approved municipal bond issue; the site was donated to the city by David Denny, one of the members of the Denny Party credited with founding the city of Seattle. The auditorium became the home of the Seattle Symphony and also hosted several touring shows. In 1956, voters passed another bond measure to fund expansion of the Civic Auditorium for use as a venue in the upcoming World's Fair. Construction began in 1959, and the auditorium reopened as the Seattle Opera House on April 21, 1962 – the opening day of the World's Fair – with a Seattle Symphony performance featuring Igor Stravinsky as a guest conductor and Van Cliburn as a guest soloist.
The Opera House hosted several performances during the World's Fair, including live telecasts of The Ed Sullivan Show, a science fiction panel discussion featuring Ray Bradbury and Rod Serling, as well as multiple concerts and dance performances featuring acts from around the world. The Seattle Opera company was founded in 1963 and held its first season in the Opera House in 1964. Pacific Northwest Ballet was founded in 1972 and held its first season in the Opera House in 1973. Seattle Symphony held its final concert in the Opera House on June 30, 1998, and moved to the newly completed Benaroya Hall soon after.
...
Wikipedia