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Arcadia Weekly Sep 06, 2012
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The seats are in and the stage is nearly set for the opening of the new Performing Arts Center - Photos by Terry Miller
New $20 Million State-Of-The-Art Performing Arts Center in Arcadia Near Completion
“An Evening With Anka” in Arcadia
Slated to open the PAC October 27
Following the beginning of what is sure to be another phenomenal academic school year for Arcadia, comes news that the doors to the spectacular Arcadia Unified School District’s new Performing Arts Center will officially open on Saturday October 27, 2012 with “An Evening With Anka” (theperformingartscenter.ausd.net). The concert will begin at 8:00pm.
The exclusive Paul Anka opening night fundraiser/concert is presented by the Arcadia school district and the Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, established to support the Performing Arts Center. Monies generated from ticket sales for the event are donations to Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation and will benefit the Performing Arts Center, art education and art programming for the community.
With a legendary career that spans more than four decades, Paul Anka has cemented his position as one of the most prolific and beloved singer/songwriters of any generation. A testament to the importance and permanence inherent in the arts, Anka quickly gained iconic status when he wrote the Academy Award-nominated theme for The Longest Day, a film in which he also starred, followed by a long list of number one songs and hits including the ever-popular “My Way,” “Diana,”“(You’re) Having My Baby” and “You Are My Destiny” and “The Tonight Show Theme” among countless others.
“We are thrilled to welcome Paul Anka as our special guest at the highly-anticipated opening of The Performing Arts Center, Your home for the arts,” said Joel Shawn, Superintendent of the Arcadia Unified School District. “A world renowned talent, Mr. Anka has long been a pioneer in an industry that is especially dominant in California and a shining example of performing arts at its best.”
“AUSD is proud to officially open the doors of The Performing Arts Center with ‘An Evening With Anka’ and to finally be able to share this remarkable new entity, built on a foundation of promise and purpose, with our district, students and community at large for decades to come,” continued Shawn.
The other star of “An Evening With Anka” is the Performing Arts Center itself. Upon your first step into the Performing Arts Center, you are immediately transported to a world of possibilities and opportunities where valuable lessons are learned, talent is fostered and the majesty of the arts is shared, cultivated and alive. It is a phenomenal new venue that students, the community, and the arts, can call home.
A premiere 40,000 square foot, 1200 seat, high-concept state-of-the-art facility located on the Arcadia High School campus, the Performing Arts Center was designed to benefit Arcadia students and the San Gabriel Valley as a whole. The modern glass and brick architectural center serves as an inclusive hub for all of the performing arts.
Among its many distinctions, the Performing Arts Center boasts a performance stage that accommodates 200 musicians, variable acoustics and orchestral shells and professional lighting and sound systems. There is also an additional Black Box theater with a separate control room and flexible seating that can host 125 guests. The sound attenuated orchestra room contains instrument storage, practice rooms and a music library.
A professional dance studio with sprung wood floors is also housed in the Performing Arts Center as are comfortable dressing rooms, scene prop and costume storage space, back of the house stage crafts areas and a concessions booth. The superstructure is further adorned with a dramatic internal courtyard, lobby and outdoor pavilion areas.
Opening events will begin the week prior to “An Evening With Anka” with AUSD students performing in select talent showcases Thursday October 18, 2012 through Saturday October 20, 2012. The student performances are open for the entire community to enjoy.
Ticket order/donations to “An Evening With Anka” can be purchased online at theperformingartscenter.ausd.net. To order by mail or in person, the address is 234 Campus Drive, Arcadia 91107- Attn: Rachel Abeyta, AUSD Superintendent office. For more information, or to purchase tickets by phone, please call (626) 821-1781.
