In the life of every city there are a few milestone events that describe the nature and soul of that city. In Amarillo, those events might include the development of the railroad and cattle industries in the 1880s, the discovery of oil and natural gas in the 1920s and the manufacturing of the V-22 Osprey in the 2000s.

Now add to that list the grand opening of the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts on January 20-22, 2006.

"This is the most eagerly anticipated opening in Amarillo," according to Becky Zenor, Vice President for Quality of Life at the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce. "What a wonderful opportunity for residents and visitors- a world-class performance hall filled with some of the world’s best performers."

"Always a great stopover on the long drive to the Rockies and the West, Amarillo boasts a performance hall second to none," adds Jerry Holt, Vice President of the Amarillo Convention & Visitor Council.

This world-class performing arts palace will be home to the Amarillo Opera, Amarillo Symphony, Lone Star Ballet and a variety of special events, concerts and performances, from the Harrington String Quartet to cowboy poet Baxter Black to Broadway productions.

The 70,000 square foot center is 10 stories tall at its highest point with a sweeping roofline that reflects majestic Palo Duro Canyon, including the texture and colors of the canyon's popularly-named "Spanish Skirts."

The center includes an elegant 30-foot-high glassed-in lobby with a grand staircase, 1,300 seat performance hall, Founder’s Lounge, and support facilities including orchestra pit, green room, catering kitchen and education facilities. An acoustically-isolated rehearsal hall that duplicates the stage's size and layout adds to the Center’s flexibility.

An acoustically excellent world-class building for the performing arts, it is designed to put the audience next to the performer, in sound and in location. Each seat is calculated for a clear sight line and a portable shell backing the stage will provide excellent sound for symphonic and acoustic performances. The shell, which is attached to a 50-ton traveling bridge, is retractable within minutes, letting theater, opera, symphony and ballet performances mingle with jazz, bluegrass, gospel and country-and-western concerts.

The opening gala program (January 20-22, 2006) will feature a list of world-class talent from the Texas Panhandle, including soprano Mary Jane Johnson, pianist John Bayless, violist Eric Chapman, ballerina Mia Cunningham, and the Harrington String Quartet. Regular public performances scheduled by Amarillo arts groups start the weekend after the opening of the hall and continue through their regular 2005-2006 seasons.

"In 1998, it was the opening of the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth and in 2002, it was the opening of the Hobby Center in Houston. In 2006, it is the opening of the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts in Amarillo that will highlight Texas’ arts calendar," Laura Street, executive director of the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, says. "The construction of the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts is the largest privately funded construction project in the history of the Panhandle of Texas. It will create a wonderful experience of the performing arts and add to the economic development and progress of the area. Many will come from all over to see this magnificent jewel that has changed the skyline and color of downtown Amarillo."

The Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts will include a children’s education center to partner with programs from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Gallery 37 in Chicago, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York City, and Young Audiences/Big Thought in Dallas, among others.

This program will introduce Texas Panhandle students to the performing arts in engaging ways and encourage students to develop artistic skills through the magic of live performances. Some of the specific children’s programs will include concerts, artist in residency programs, free or discounted tickets, recitals by area dance companies and university students, mentor sessions with orchestra, ballet and opera members, web-based learning opportunities and special festivals, such as the Greater Southwest Music Festival. In addition, educational opportunities will be taken to the rural classroom in the Texas Panhandle through distance learning.

Built entirely by private donations totaling more than $30 million, it has been under construction since 2003. When the building is complete, ownership will be transferred to the City of Amarillo and it will be maintained by the city as part of the Amarillo Civic Center complex. The Amarillo Civic Center will now total more than 400,000 square feet including a 5,000 seat coliseum, a 2,400 seat auditorium, two exhibit halls with over 45,000 square feet, a 25,000 square foot formal ballroom and all the facilities within the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts.

The Globe-News Center is designed and built by a team of internationally-known organizations and individuals including Malcolm Holzman of New York, Architect; Jaffe Holden Acoustics of Connecticut, Acousticians; Robert Davis, Jr. of New York, Theater Consultant; and Hunt Construction Group of Phoenix/Dallas. This experienced team has completed many arts construction and renovation projects including Radio City Music Hall, Murchison Auditorium at the University of North Texas, San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts and the Performing Arts Center of Portland, OR

"This building will benefit the entire community, bringing the power of the arts and a variety of performances to this region," Street concludes.

For more information on the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, call 806-374-8288 or go on-line at www.globenewscenter.com.