Current Release: September 11th, 2007 | Vol. XXIV Iss. 10

Photos By Thomas Martin

New performing arts center opens in Va. Beach

By Thomas Martin

tjmartin@vwc.edu

Let the show begin! Located in the Town Center of Virginia Beach, there is a state-of-the-art performing arts facility that is about to come alive. The state-of-the-art theater will provide patrons with an up-close and personal experience like no other Hampton Roads venue. The inaugural season of the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts will begin on Saturday, Nov. 3.

“One thing that you find is that once a building starts to operate, it becomes and builds kind of a life of its own,” commented David Semon, General Manager for the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts.” A building is just bricks and mortar, but the people and the performances is what really makes it what it is.”

The opening night’s performance as part of the Great Performance Series presented by Lexus will lead off with Itzhak Perlman on Nov. 3. Perlman is a violinist who is recognized by audiences all over the world for his flawless technique and his irrepressible joy in making music.

Perlman will lead off an impressive roster of performers, nine-time Grammy Award winner Bonnie Raitt on Nov. 16 and 12-time Grammy Award winner Tony Bennett on Dec. 14.

“The Great Performance Series gives us the opportunity to showcase a wide array of amazing performers such as the Chieftains, the Vienna Boys Choir, and Tango Fire, as well as who’s who from classical music, theater, dance, and world music,” said Robert W. Cross, Executive Director of the Virginia Arts Festival

Tickets are currently available for purchase by calling 757-385-ARTS and at www.sandlercenter.org.

With only 100 feet separating the front of the stage and the furthest seat in the house, and the first row is within 10 feet, the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts is the perfect venue to experience an intimate theater experience. The theater generates a European feel because of the audience’s proximity to the performers. The flawless acoustics and extensive soundproofing and state-of-the-art sound system will clearly showcase any genre of music.

“The theater is designed to push the sound out from the stage, so even if it’s a little tiny classical performance, like a solo voice or a small string quartet, we don’t need any reinforcement. It’s all natural acoustic,” said Rudy Vectre, Production Manager for the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts. The extensive soundproofing isolates the audience chamber from outside interference as well.

All levels of the auditorium-orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony are equipped with heating and air conditioning ducts located under the seats. Their high volume, low velocity air supply creates immediate comfort for the audience without the sound of rushing air. “It is a system that few theaters have. It’s state-of-the-art and quite a fantastic feature of this building,” commented Semon.

Just in case you’re late or need to leave the performance for any reason, the facility has five 42 inch flat-screen monitors that allow you to continue watching the performance.

To honor their late parents, Steve and Art Sandler, along with their wives Toni and Annie, presented the Virginia Beach Performing Arts Center Foundation with a lead gift of $5 million. Besides their own generous donation, Steve and Art Sandler have worked closely with the leadership of the Foundation to educate other individuals and companies in the area about the value of a top-notch performing arts center for the City.

“My parents would have loved to have been involved in the campaign for the performing arts center,” said Art Sandler. “They understood how important facilities like this are because they provide citizens of all ages with opportunities to have truly enriching experiences.”