ZACH Unveils Nearly Completed Topfer Theatre

After four years of planning, Austin's Zach Theater Company recently unveiled the nearly completed Topfer Theatre to invited guests earlier this week.  While the theater will not officially open until late this month, guests got a sneak peak at the venue, its amenities, and highlights from ZACH's upcoming season.

While some details of the building-such as carpeting, the exterior entrance plaza, and other finishing touches-have yet to be completed, it is already clear that the Topfer will be a pinnacle of Austin culture.  The expansive lobby is modern but homey, a beautifully understated, peaceful space furnished with a gift shop, large bar area, and comfy seating areas.  The Serra Skyline Lounge on the lobby's second floor offers some spectacular views of the Capitol and Austin Skyline.  During the season, the Serra Skyline Lounge will be reserved for ZACH donors who contribute $600 or more annually, and it is certainly a fitting perk for donors.

But of course the true star of the facility is the gorgeous James C. Armstrong Family Auditorium.  The new 420 seat theater features stadium seating, ensuring that ever audience member gets a fantastic view of the stage and retaining the intimate feel of ZACH's neighboring 130 seat Whisenhunt Theatre and 230 seat Kleberg Theatre.  The 3,280 square foot Karen Kuykendall Stage is equipped with state of the art lighting and sound equipment, a 72-foot fly tower, and an orchestra pit.  The acoustics, while supposedly still being fine-tuned, are already astonishing.  The special sneak-peak performance of earlier this week featured pre-recorded sound, a live rock band, miked singers, non-miked actors, and a concert pianist, all of which could be heard beautifully.  The performances themselves, highlights of 8 of the 9 shows of ZACH's soon to-be-announced 2012-2013 season, were all highly enjoyable.  ZACH's inaugural season at the Topfer is sure to be magical.

While the building will not be complete until its opening weekend galas featuring Bernadette Peters on Thursday, September 27^th and Brian Stokes Mitchell on Saturday, September 29^th, it is already a stunning facility and well worth a visit to the ZACH.

For more information, go to www.zachtheatre.org.

For information on the Topfer Theater opening galas, visit http://www.zachtheatre.org/content/topfer-theatre-opening-weekend.

For season tickets, contact Bette O'Callaghan at 512-476-0594 x250 or bocallaghan@zachtheatre.org.