Tuacahn
Encyclopedia
Tuacahn Amphitheatre and Center for the Arts is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) arts organization nestled in the mouth of Padre Canyon below towering 1500 foot (457 m) red sandstone cliffs in Ivins, Utah
adjacent to Snow Canyon State Park
. The 42,000 square foot (3902 m²) facility was completed in 1995 and includes a 1920 seat outdoor mphitheater a 330 seat indoor theater, a dance studio, a black-box theater, a recital hall, a costume shop and scene shop, studios, classrooms, and a gift shop. Tuacahn presents professional large-scale musical theater productions as part of the annual "Broadway in the Desert" series. The center also presents The Festival of Lights with Live Nativity during the holiday season as well as a spring and fall concert series.
Tuacahn was founded by Utah playwright Doug Stewart, a creator of the musical "Saturday's Warrior
." He envisioned a place where the story of the founding of southern Utah could be told in dramatic form. Partnering with businessman and philanthropist Hyrum W. Smith
(creator of the Franklin Planner
), Stewart's dream became a reality when the arts center opened in April 1995 with a special dedication by Gordon B. Hinckley
and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
. The venue presented the outdoor musical drama "UTAH!" for several seasons before discontinuing that production and switching to the "Broadway in the Desert" format in 1999.
In 2005, Tuacahn created the Summer Theatre Institute to provide high school students from throughout the state of Utah the opportunity to experience a summer stock experience for 8 weeks during the summer. The Institute presents a fully staged musical production in the indoor Ruth and Orval Hafen Theatre for approximately four weeks in July and August as the culminating event of the summer camp experience.
In 2006 Music Theatre International
selected Tuacahn as one of eight regional theaters in the United States to present the first post-Broadway professional productions of Les Misérables
. Tuacahn's production took place June-October 2008. In June 2009 Tuacahn was awarded rights to present the post-Broadway regional-theatre premiere of Disney's Tarzan in 2010. Due to the success of Tarzan, Disney gave Tuacahn the rights for the post-Broadway regional premiere of Disney's The Little Mermaid, which ran during the summer of 2011.
In December 2004, Scott S. Anderson
, writer and director of the film "The Best Two Years
" was named Tuacahn's Artistic Director.
Tuacahn Center for the Arts is also home to a charter school known as Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts
.
37.19025°N 113.659235°W
Ivins, Utah
Ivins is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. The population was 4,450 at the 2000 census, and it was estimated at 7,205 in 2006. Although Ivins was a town in 2000, it has since been classified as a fifth-class city by state law.-History:...
adjacent to Snow Canyon State Park
Snow Canyon State Park
Snow Canyon State Park is a state park of Utah, USA, featuring a canyon carved from the red and white Navajo sandstone in the Red Mountains. The park is located near Ivins, Utah in Washington County...
. The 42,000 square foot (3902 m²) facility was completed in 1995 and includes a 1920 seat outdoor mphitheater a 330 seat indoor theater, a dance studio, a black-box theater, a recital hall, a costume shop and scene shop, studios, classrooms, and a gift shop. Tuacahn presents professional large-scale musical theater productions as part of the annual "Broadway in the Desert" series. The center also presents The Festival of Lights with Live Nativity during the holiday season as well as a spring and fall concert series.
Tuacahn was founded by Utah playwright Doug Stewart, a creator of the musical "Saturday's Warrior
Saturday's Warrior
Saturday's Warrior is a Latter-day Saint musical written by Douglas Stewart and Lex de Azevedo. It was first performed in California in 1973 as a college project....
." He envisioned a place where the story of the founding of southern Utah could be told in dramatic form. Partnering with businessman and philanthropist Hyrum W. Smith
Hyrum W. Smith
Hyrum W. Smith founded the Franklin Quest Company in 1981. Among the company's other products, Smith created the Franklin Planner and seminars on productivity development based on the "belief window" and other concepts. In 1997, Franklin Quest merged with Stephen R. Covey's Covey Leadership...
(creator of the Franklin Planner
Franklin Planner
The Franklin Planner is a paper-based time management system created by Hyrum W. Smith. It is marketed by the FranklinCovey company, and promoted by Stephen Covey. Physically it consists of a ring binder holding specially designed loose leaf pages...
), Stewart's dream became a reality when the arts center opened in April 1995 with a special dedication by Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, sometimes colloquially referred to as MoTab, is a Grammy and Emmy Award winning, 360-member, all-volunteer choir. The choir is part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . However, the choir is completely self-funded, traveling and producing albums to...
. The venue presented the outdoor musical drama "UTAH!" for several seasons before discontinuing that production and switching to the "Broadway in the Desert" format in 1999.
In 2005, Tuacahn created the Summer Theatre Institute to provide high school students from throughout the state of Utah the opportunity to experience a summer stock experience for 8 weeks during the summer. The Institute presents a fully staged musical production in the indoor Ruth and Orval Hafen Theatre for approximately four weeks in July and August as the culminating event of the summer camp experience.
In 2006 Music Theatre International
Music Theatre International
Music Theatre International, often abbreviated MTI, is a theatrical licensing agency based in New York City. The League of American Theatres and Producers calls MTI "A leader in the theatrical licensing industry."-Description:...
selected Tuacahn as one of eight regional theaters in the United States to present the first post-Broadway professional productions of Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
. Tuacahn's production took place June-October 2008. In June 2009 Tuacahn was awarded rights to present the post-Broadway regional-theatre premiere of Disney's Tarzan in 2010. Due to the success of Tarzan, Disney gave Tuacahn the rights for the post-Broadway regional premiere of Disney's The Little Mermaid, which ran during the summer of 2011.
In December 2004, Scott S. Anderson
Scott S. Anderson
Scott S. Anderson was the writer and director of the film The Best Two Years. This was an adaptation for film of his earlier stage production The Best Two Years of My Life....
, writer and director of the film "The Best Two Years
The Best Two Years
The Best Two Years is a 2003 dramedy film written and directed by Scott S. Anderson. It is based on the stage play The Best Two Years of My Life, also by Anderson. It portrays the experience of four LDS missionaries living in an apartment in the Holland region of the Netherlands. The stage play...
" was named Tuacahn's Artistic Director.
Tuacahn Center for the Arts is also home to a charter school known as Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts
Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts (Utah)
Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts was the first public charter high school in the state of Utah. Tuacahn High School is located in Ivins, Utah, just outside of St. George, Utah. The school offers a full college preparatory curriculum while focusing in depth on the various areas of the...
.
External links
37.19025°N 113.659235°W