Kelli O' Hara & Paul Szot To Perform During Conrad Preby's Opening Gala 12/7

Lou Spisto, Executive Producer of the Tony Award®-winning Old Globe, is pleased to announce the grand opening gala for the new Conrad Prebys Theatre Center on December 7, 2009. The evening will include a special performance by South Pacific stars, Kelli O'Hara and Paulo Szot, with musical direction by Ted Sperling, and will officially open the new Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre.

The Conrad Prebys Theatre Center is a four-level facility, housing the intimate 250-seat Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, an arena-style theatre with audience seating no more than five rows deep on all sides, while achieving state-of-the-art technical capabilities for producing a wider variety of work and improved comfort and safety for audiences and artists. The Karen and Donald Cohn Education Center, which "wraps" the theatre on the upper level, will provide an exciting centralized space for the Globe's education and outreach programs. The main multipurpose space, Hattox Hall, will host a variety of education and artistic programs, including play readings and other theatrical events.

The new building will feature additional dressing rooms and a new green room and spaces that will serve all three theatres on The Old Globe campus. The new 14,000-square-foot Copley Plaza will serve as a beautiful outdoor gathering area for each of the three theatre venues while providing space for a variety of Globe and community functions and will include a new and improved pub and additional restrooms. The new building and Plaza will remain compatible with the Elizabethan architectural style of the historic Old Globe campus, while blending seamlessly with the enchanting surroundings in Balboa Park.

In recognition of long-time Globe supporters Donald and Darlene Shiley's unprecedented commitment of $20 million, designated for artistic operating expenses and the endowment, the stage of the Old Globe Theatre is now known as the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage, while the name of the theatre remains the Old Globe Theatre.

"We are extremely excited to be reaching the completion of the new Conrad Prebys Theatre Center and Copley Plaza," said Executive Producer Lou Spisto. "This incredible re-imagining of our facilities is coming to fruition and will help us ensure the long-term vitality of the Globe, which has stood as San Diego's flagship theatre and a cultural landmark in this community for nearly 75 years."

Construction of the new facilities is being funded by The Old Globe's Capital and Endowment Campaign, "Securing a San Diego Landmark," which was announced in March, 2006. This major five-year fundraising campaign is projected to raise $75 million by the Globe's 75th Anniversary in 2010 and seeks to ensure the Theatre's unparalleled level of artistic quality and secure its long-term stability through an increased endowment, new facilities and enhanced funding for annual programs as the endowment grows. With $68.9 million raised to date, the Campaign was kicked off by a $20 million commitment from Donald and Darlene Shiley for operating and endowment support and a $10 million gift from Conrad Prebys for facilities.

For further information on the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center Opening Gala or to contribute to The Old Globe Capital and Endowment Campaign, please call (619) 231-1941 ext. 2317.

Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre

The new second stage - an intimate arena space - will offer enhanced, state-of-the-art technical and staging capabilities and will feature artistic support spaces both backstage and on a separate level from audience entrance and circulation, as well as a new technical center highlighted by a state-of-the-art control room and sound equipment, trap room and a full-height lighting grid. Artistic support spaces include a new green room and new dressing rooms for both the arena theatre and the Lowell Davies Festival Theatre. These changes, along with a new lobby, entrances and seating will improve theatre access, as well as enhance the comfort and safety of patrons and performers. The new theatre has been named for major Globe donors Sheryl and Harvey White in recognition of their $6 million campaign gift.

The Karen and Donald Cohn Education Center and Hattox Hall

The new education center will give the Globe a dynamic, centralized space on the Balboa Park campus to house the Theatre's on-site education programs that since 1947 have been held in rehearsal spaces as available, or on stage when not in use. This 6,200-square-foot center will be situated on the second floor of the new arena theatre, wrapping around the upper-level technical areas to create a unique synergy with the main-stage productions and artists working in the theatre. The center includes Hattox Hall, a 2,070-square-foot multi-purpose performance and training space, named for Kathryn Hattox, in recognition of her $5 million campaign gift, and a 600-square-foot classroom. These new spaces will host the Globe's on-site performances for students, after-school and weekend programs for young people, MFA training and workshops, adult acting classes, professional development opportunities for teachers, Insights Seminars and pre-performance lectures, family programming, as well as new play development. The center has been named for major Globe donors Karen and Donald Cohn in recognition of their $5 million campaign gift.

Redesigned Copley Plaza

The Globe's Copley Plaza serves as the collective outdoor lobby for all three venues while providing a beautiful space for a variety of public functions. The new Plaza - a 14,000-square-foot public gathering area - will become a showplace of its own, restoring the original spirit of the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition for which it was created. Visually and physically connecting the Globe's buildings, this inviting outdoor lobby will welcome the community to the three performance venues, box office, dining area, education center and administrative offices. The new Plaza will provide more comfortable accommodations for guests, including a new dining pavilion and outdoor seating throughout the Plaza. Designed for optimal flexibility and a variety of uses for the public, the new Plaza will more easily accommodate Globe programs, such as outdoor pre-performance lectures, fund raising receptions, and "Nights at the Globe" events, as well as such major public celebrations as San Diego's annual "December Nights" community festival, the Globe's Grinch Tree Lighting ceremony, and the Summer Shakespeare Festival. Copley Plaza will continue to serve as a central gathering place for not only the 300,000 annual theatre attendees but for all Balboa Park patrons, offering a delightful central area for dining and relaxation.

Construction began in June 2008 and was made possible by: Project Management Advisors, Inc. (PMA) in Solana Beach, who serve as the project manager for the facilities plan; LMN Architects of Seattle, WA, who has been recognized for its ability to deliver outstanding design for civic and public buildings; Joshua Dachs of Fisher Dachs Associates, New York, NY, who served as the project's Theatre Consultant; David Reed Landscape Architects, San Diego, CA, for Copley Plaza and the surrounding landscape; David Marshall of Heritage Architecture & Planning, San Diego, CA, a consultant on the project who ensured compliance with the historical requirements of Balboa Park; and the project's General Contractor, DPR Construction, Inc., providing support for cost estimating and construction planning. Additional participants in the construction project include Hope Engineering, serving as the structural engineer; RBF Consultants, serving as civil engineer; Jaffe Holden Acoustics, serving as acoustic and audio-visual consultants; TKG Consulting Engineers, serving as MEP engineer and Horton Lees Brogden consulting on specialty lighting.

Photo: Joan Marcus