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Photo courtesy of UA Presents
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Centennial Hall underwent renovations this year to strengthen its ceiling to support this 1,000-pound chandelier.
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By Paul Iiams
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Tuesday Mar. 26, 2002
Centennial undergoes renovations to accomodate 'phantom'
When an event that has earned more than $1.5 billion nationwide heads to your town, whatever changes needed to accommodate it are made. That is exactly what Centennial Hall has done for the April 10 Tucson arrival of the smash Broadway hit "Phantom of the Opera."
Centennial Hall underwent more than $250,000 worth of renovations to house the sheer enormity of the stage production. A majority of the renovation was done specifically for "Phantom," with steel reinforcements installed to help support certain props and extra space added to fit the cast and crew of more than 110.
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Phantom Phacts and Phigures
The chandelier, which plays an important role in the show, weighs more than 1,000 pounds, is more than 10 feet tall, and took five different scenery shops three months to construct.
At one point in the show, 114 candles rise out of the stage, simulating an underground lake.
Ten smoke and fog machines shroud the performance in a mysterious, menacing atmosphere. About 550 pounds of dry ice is used per show to achieve the effect.
The phantom's gondola is actually moved across the stage by a remote control operator.
There are a total of 231 candles in the production of "Phantom." The tallest candelabra is more than 14 feet tall.
There are 230 costumes used in the production, yet there are only 36 performers.
Eleven life-sized mannequins are used in crowd scenes.
The production features a touring deck with 141 traps.
- Compiled by Sanders Fabares
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The proscenium (the part of the stage in front of the curtain) required the most structural support. Steel girders were placed strategically in the upper levels above the stage area. Holes were then cut between the girders to set the support for 2.5 tons of scenery.
"Most of the stuff was done specifically for the show," said Ed Brown, director of operations for Centennial Hall. "What that means is sometime down the road, we will be able to accommodate 'Phantom' again."
Although university employees did most of the construction, some of the work had to be completed by outside contractors. Raising a portion of Centennial Hall's roof was one such project. This was done to accommodate a 1,000-pound chandelier that plays a major role in the production.
"We had to get a crane in here to support the roof," Brown said. "We don't have a crane here at the university, although you wouldn't know it by looking at the (new) Student Union."
The rest of the renovation included what could be called cosmetic changes to the backstage area. The bathrooms were upgraded to suit the performers' unique needs.
"The actors use so much makeup, we have put slop sinks in both bathrooms so they can wash all the stuff off," Brown said.
The dressing rooms were also extended to double the amount of people that it formerly fit.
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file photo/Arizona Daily Wildcat
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"Phantom of the Opera" crew member Jack Anderson supervises the moving and placement of a winch, July 30 at Centennial Hall. The winch will hold the 1,000-pound chandelier for the production.
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"We ended up having to extend the makeup mirrors out to accommodate four people instead of the normal two," Brown said. "It will be tight, but they will fit."
New offices are also being built on the second level of the backstage area. Two single offices and one larger group office will house the bevy of managers the company brings with them on tour. The offices have not yet been completed, as funding for the project is coming into question.
"It's been a 'you're approved, you're not approved' sort of thing," Brown said.
The renovations took more than two weeks last summer. Construction employees worked through the intense summer heat and contended with other performances.
"That was the difficult part for us," Brown said. "We had 100 performances of 45 different shows going on (during the renovation)."
Twenty 48-foot semi-trucks will arrive on April 20 to unload the entire show at Centennial Hall. The process will take until April 9, the day before the show opens.
Changes have not come cheap for Centennial Hall, but not all of the $250,000 construction expense is being paid by the venue.
"We were able to offset part of it by adding a $2.50 theater modification charge to the tickets," said Tara Kirkpatrick, Centennial Hall's publicist. These additions, she added, should cover the majority of the construction costs.
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ALYSON E. GROVE/Arizona Daily Wildcat
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New lighting instruments were added above the Centennial Hall stage for the upcoming production of "Phantom of the Opera."
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Currently, "Phantom" has sold about 50 percent of available tickets. This pace, according to Brown, is the norm.
"Tucson is very much a word-of-mouth town," he said. "We hope that once the show opens, the ticket sales will take off."
Whether the "Phantom of the Opera" will be successful in Tucson remains to be seen. But if history dictates, the show will be a major hit and a major boost for the local economy.
According to the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, the show brought $24 million to Denver's economy, $26 million to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and $18 million to Atlanta.
Centennial Hall is relying on the show's success by presenting 32 performances over four weeks.
"It is the largest, longest show we have ever done, by far," Kirkpatrick said.
