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Grand opening tonight for Park City arts center


Deseret News, 10 January 1998, page E4

Article Summary:

The grand opening for the George S. & Dolores Dore Eccles Center for the Performing Arts will be held on 10 January 1998, beginning with a catered reception at 6 p.m.  Actor Robert Urich and his wife Heather will emcee the event, which will feature comedian Bill Cosby and live performances by Ballet West, the Utah Symphony, the Utah Opera, and the Calvary Baptist Choir. Next week, the Eccles Center will be the main hub of the Sundance Film Festival.  Other national acts, such as the Alvin Ailey Dance Company and the Flying Karamazov Brothers, are scheduled to perform later this year.

The new auditorium at Pack City High School, a joint venue for the Park City School district and the Park City Arts Foundation, will be used for regular assemblies and school productions and as a stage for national touring artists.  The school district has control of the center for about 180 days of the year and the Arts Foundation will use it the other days. Each organization and use it during the other's time, with permission.

“We will use the center for a teaching and performance space for the students,” said Park City School District superintendent Nancy DeFord.   “We will hold workshops and have various artists and performers visit with the students.  It's also nice to be able to have a place where the whole student body can meet at once.”

The auditorium seats 1,300 and the adjoining black box theater seats about 180.  The center has state-of-the-art projection, sound, and lighting equipment.