A new venue for music, opera, theater and dance, The Kauffman Centre will be the home of the Kansas City Ballet, Kansas City Symphony and Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Its 1,800-seat Muriel Kauffman Theatre and 1,600-seat Helzberg Hall are housed in a dramatic shell, designed by famed architect Moshe Safdie, and sheathed in glass and stainless steel. The Muriel Kauffman Theatre will host dance and theatrical performances; Helzberg Hall will be the principal locale for music, from chamber groups and jazz and pop performers to full orchestras.
Placido Domingo, Itzhak Perlman and Diana Krall inaugurated the Kauffman Centre with two days of glittering grand-opening events and performances.
According to Patrick Donnelly, director of theatre operations for the Kauffman Centre, the Robert Juliat Victor followspots will "support our resident symphony, ballet and opera companies as well as touring Broadway shows and other events" scheduled for the new venue. Typically, three Victors each will be available to the Muriel Kauffman Theatre and Helzberg Hall.
Project manager Michael Ferguson specified the Robert Juliat fixtures "for their superior optics - there's absolutely nothing better on the market." He also liked their ease of use. "They are instinctive and smooth, which is key for ballet and opera," he says.
(Jim Evans)
