By Beth English, University Relations
Contact: (336) 334-5371
Posted 8-28-08
Provost David Perrin (left), Chancellor Linda P. Brady, retiring associate vice chancellor for facilities Davis Lumpkin and vice chancellor for student affairs Carol Disque have a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to re-open the renovated Aycock Auditorium.
GREENSBORO, NC – Aycock Auditorium is returning to service this fall as one of the Triad’s finest performance venues after almost two years of renovation.
Several events are coming up, including a community open house Sunday afternoon, Sept. 7. Aycock, which opened in 1927, is located at the intersection of Spring Garden and Tate streets and anchors the entrance to The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
First up is the “collage” concert Saturday, Sept. 6. Fourteen student and faculty groups from the School of Music will perform at 7:30 p.m., marking the first UNCG performance in the space. Groups include: African Drumming Ensemble, Gate City Camerata, Jazz Ensemble, Old Time Folk Music Ensemble, Opera Theatre with the Casella Sinfonietta, Percussion Ensemble, University Chorale and Chamber Singers, University Symphony Orchestra, the Wind Ensemble, Eastwind Ensemble, Faculty Jazz Combo, Market Street Brass, McIver String Trio and a sextet composed of members of the voice faculty.
The following day, Sunday, Sept. 7, visitors can go backstage and prowl from balcony to basement at the open house, complete with tours and refreshments, from 2-5 p.m.
The Greensboro Symphony Orchestra will open its season at Aycock on Saturday, Sept. 13, featuring tenor Rene Barbera, winner of the School of Music’s 2007 Charles A. Lynam Vocal Competition.
In October, “Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” kicks off the UNCG Theatre season Wednesday through Sunday, Oct. 1-5. Renowned actress-comedian Lily Tomlin opens the University Concert & Lecture Series on Oct. 11. Click here for the list of performances in Aycock in 2008-2009.
All event tickets are available through the UNCG Box Office at (336) 334-4849 or www.uncg.edu/euc/boxoffice/tickets.
Aycock interior
Long-time patrons of Aycock will, no doubt, appreciate two of the changes – expanded leg room and wider seats. Other new features include improved acoustics, an elevator for improved accessibility, better sight lines to the stage, a new downstairs lobby, extra bathrooms, a new orchestra pit and a restored chandelier – all details that make Greensboro’s premier theater space shine.
The $19 million renovation was part of the N.C. Higher Education Bonds, and it has helped meet UNCG’s teaching and performance needs – while preserving the 80-year-old building’s character. Construction began in 2006 and was completed this summer.
At the ribbon-cutting on Thursday, Aug. 28, Chancellor Linda P. Brady recognized Aycock Auditorium’s unique place in the life of the University.
“For over 80 years Aycock has brought students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members together,” Brady said. “It has brought prestige and recognition to the University by hosting the greatest names in the arts and has served as a training ground for future performers and technicians.
“One of the greatest values of this building is its use by a number of academic departments and campus organizations. Aycock serves as the principal, proscenium stage theater of the University, providing facilities for academic programs as well as co-curricular offerings in the arts and student activities.
“It is the largest of the university’s performance facilities and, indeed, the only proscenium type auditorium capable of supporting complex technical theater productions. The renovation of this important building was intended to preserve the historical and noteworthy qualities of this facility and provide increased comforts for patrons and users. And I'm told that the new seats are a major improvement. ”
Other speakers included Dr. John J. Deal, dean of the School of Music, and James Fisher, head of the Department of Theatre. Among those recognized were the architectural firms Gantt Huberman of Charlotte and Holzman Moss from New York City, and the general contractor Rodgers Hardin of Charlotte and Atlanta.
The auditorium initially cost $400,000 in 1927 and had seating for 2,288 people - it now has approximately 1,600 seats. It is named for N.C. Gov. Charles B. Aycock (1901-05). Over the years, performers such as the Feld Ballet, Red Skelton, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo-Ma, Marcel Marceau, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, Leonard Nimoy, Maya Angelou, the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, STOMP, the Boys Choir of Harlem and Mel Torme have all graced the Aycock stage.
