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WHAT’S GOING ON? At ASU’s New Schaefer Center On Rivers Street, Grand Opening Set For Thursday

Photo by Ken Ketchie
For the past week, workers, standing inside an aerial lift, have been adorning the outside of the Schaefer Center that faces Rivers Street with a colorful banner featuring images and logos of the current performing arts series. Photo by Ken Ketchie

By Jesse Wood

July 15, 2013. While the inside of the old Farthing Auditorium has been completely renovated, the outside of the new Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of ASU is receiving a makeover as well.

For the past week, workers, standing inside an aerial lift, have been adorning the outside of the Schaefer Center that faces Rivers Street with a colorful banner featuring images and logos of the current performing arts series.

Megan Stage, public relations manager for the Office of Arts and Cultural Programs, said the signage is a “skin that wraps the building.”

“It’s pretty much put up there using a heat adhesive. It’s kind of being melted on the brick,” Stage said, adding that the application is indefinite.

The new signage is “pretty stunning and eye-catching,” Stage said. “We wanted something to match the inside and let people know that the outside is getting a few renovations as well.”

The renovations to the Schaefer Center were funded privately through a generous $7 million gift from Bonnie and Jamie Schaefer, owners of Westglow Resort and Spa and Rowlands Restaurant, which are also corporate sponsors of An Appalachian Summer Festival. Those renovations include a new wing adjacent to the lobby that houses an elevator to access the balcony, a concessions area and additional bathrooms.

The floor in front of the main stage was sloped at a steeper grade to improve sightlines. Other renovations include a mechanized orchestra pit and improved acoustics and sound system.

The grand opening for the Schaefer Center takes place on Thursday, July 18, with a performance from Idina Menzel with the Eastern Festival Orchestra.  Menzel was dubbed the “Streisand of her generation” by The Denver Post.

Adult tickets cost $47. Tickets for students and children cost $39. Stage said only a few tickets are left.

For more information about the show, click here.  

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