The John R. Emens College-Community Auditorium, or Emens Auditorium as it is known on campus, is an auditorium on the campus of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, United States.
The facility is used to host Broadway shows, plays, and university events, as well as regional events for eastern Indiana.
Emens Auditorium has a seating capacity of 3,581. The Auditorium was opened on March 14, 1964, when Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians performed.
Attached to the rear of the facility is a smaller theater used for performing arts shows.
Use the seating chart to help you determine the section where you would like tickets for Emens Auditorium events. If pit seats are available, those would be located in front of the main floor seats.
Video John R. Emens College-Community Auditorium
General information
The cost to build (back in 1964) was in building Emens auditorium was $2,975,000.
The architect of the building was Walter Scholer.
The contractor was Hagerman Construction Co., Fort Wayne, Indiana.
The stage features include a 144 feet wide by 45 feet deep: stage floor to gridiron is 78 feet.
The proscenium arch is 82 feet wide. A sixteen-ton fireproof curtain divides the stage from the house.
Its opening date or "Sneak Previews" for the public was on March 14 and 15, 1964, dedication, October 25, 1964.
The official name of the venue is John R. Emens College-Community Auditorium.
To build Emens Auditorium there was a huge fund raising of $1.5 million.
So the charity started in 1960 they succeeded this fundraising in January 25, 1964 and exceeded the $1.5 Million amount by $10,532.
The auditorium was named by the current president of the school John R. Emens.
There are plaques of remembrance on pillars and walls in the courtyard entrance of Emens Auditorium of major donors to the building fundraising.
After five years the auditorium was named for John Emens, the university honored his wife by naming the art-filled lounge on the auditorium's second floor the Aline Brainerd Lounge.
The campus adds more than $2 million to the local economy each summer and presents concerts to the public.
Maps John R. Emens College-Community Auditorium
History
"As fine a hall as the Salzburg Festspiel Haus and better than the San Francisco Opera House . . ." Spoken by Heinrich Keilholz, an acoustical engineer from Hamburg, Germany, these words are in praise of John R. Emens College-Community Auditorium.
Ball State University's sixth president, John R. Emens (1945-1968), had a dream. He envisioned a "campus of the future" complete with an auditorium "large enough to house most college functions as well as major symphonies, Broadway productions, ballets, and other forms of entertainment for Muncie and east central Indiana audiences."
Planning for the auditorium began as early as 1947, but the U-shaped building was not actually built until 1961. The structure includes the Hargreeves Music Building, Arts and Communications Building, and the 410-seat University Theatre.
Emens's dream was finally realized on March 14-15, 1964, when the auditorium gave its first performances in the form of a "sneak preview," and then it was officially dedicated on Oct. 25 the same year.
In its first 25 years alone, more than 3.6 million people visited the then 3,581-seat auditorium to see 2,335 programs. The legendary acoustic, scalloped ceiling, and state-of-the-art sound capabilities of Emens Auditorium account for the attraction of many artists to performing in this facility.
Since the grand opening in 1964, many world-renowned artists, individuals, musicians, and shows have graced the stage of Emens Auditorium. Legendary performances range from President Ford, David Letterman, Stevie Wonder, Louis Armstrong, Victor Borge, Magician David Copperfield, comedian Adam Sandler, musicals Cats and Les Misérables, Red Skelton, B. B. King, The Temptations, Third Eye Blind, and the Dixie Chicks.
Bill Cosby could not have said it better after a performance in 1969: "This is the greatest hall I have ever played . . . the greatest acoustics."
John R. Emens and Aline B. Emens Scholarships
High school seniors who have actively participated in and provided leadership for academic and extracurricular activities in their high school and local community are eligible to apply for this award. The value of the Emens Scholarship varies from year to year. In recent years it has been the value of one-half the amount of in-state tuition and is determined annually based on the availability of funds.
These awards are for eight semesters and are subject to an annual review of the student's leadership activities and academic progress.
Performers and speakers
- 1964 Edgar Bergen, Peter Nero, Louis Armstrong
- 1965 Dave Brubeck, Bob Newhart, Ronald Reagan, Igor Stravinsky, Oscar Shumsky, Rudolf Friml, Robert Goulet, Peter Nero
- 1966 Johnny Mathis, Pearl Buck, Count Basie, Helen Hayes, Hans Conried, Ferrante and Teicher
- 1967 Isaac Stern, Peter Paul and Mary, Maria von Trapp, Simon and Garfunkel, Pat Paulsen, Arthur Fiedler, Hans Conried, Jerome Hines, Tom Ewell
- 1968 Paul Newman, Mantovani, Shirley Verrett, John Davidson, Roger Williams, Peter Nero, Tom Ewell, Rosemary
- 1969 Four Tops, The Cowsills, Ralph Nader, Jose Feliciano, The Righteous Brothers, Eugene Ormandy, Ferrante and Teicher
- 1970 Guy Lombardo, BJ Thomas, Jeane Dixon, Stevie Wonder, Hans Conried, Dionne Warwick
- 1971 The First Edition (band), Duke Ellington, Art Linkletter, Pierre Boulez
- 1972 Itzhak Perlman, Doc Severinsen, Henry Mancini, Betty Friedan, Pierre Boulez, Roberta Peters, Shelley Berman
- 1973 George Carlin, Lily Tomlin, Dionne Warwick, The Carpenters, Arthur Fiedler, John Mayall, Isaac Stern, Mary Travers
- 1974 Rare Earth, Boots Randolph, Richie Havens, Johnny Cash, Mac Davis, Van Cliburn, Anne Murray, John Raitt, Ferrante and Teicher, Vivian Blaine, Imogene Coca
- 1975 The Imperials, Bill Cosby, Stan Kenton, Leonard Rose, Aaron Copland, Myrna Loy, Ricardo Montalban, Roger Williams, Peter Nero, Eddie Bracken
- 1976 The Spinners, Alex Haley, Dixy Lee Ray, Gene Roddenberry, Michael Tilson Thomas, Nancy Wilson, Peter Nero, Dana Andrews, Howard Duff
- 1977 John Kenneth Galbraith, Red Skelton, Harry Chapin, Pearl Bailey, Leonard Rose, Eugene Fodor, Arthur Fiedler, Henry Mancini, Robert Merrill, John Raitt
- 1978 Jerry Lewis, The Amazing Kreskin, Dizzy Gillespie, Burl Ives, Alicia de Larrocha, Jerome Hines, Dave Brubeck, Harry Chapin, Roger Williams, Kathryn Crosby
- 1979 Ann Landers, David Letterman, Pablo Cruise, Chuck Mangione, Coretta Scott King, Andrés Segovia, Roberta Peters, Peter Nero, Forrest Tucker
- 1980 Dick Gregory, Kenny Loggins, Mel Torme, Rich Little, Don Ho, Isaac Stern, Leonard Rose, Anna Maria Alberghetti
- 1981 Vincent Price, Mike Wallace, Gordon Lightfoot, Chuck Mangione, Red Skelton, Imogene Coca
- 1982 Charlie Daniels, Admiral Hyman Rickover, Johnny Cash, Cab Calloway, Eddie Bracken, Pat Carroll
- 1983 Tammy Wynette, Rita Coolidge, Oscar Shumsky, Chuck Mangione
- 1984 Liberace, Neil Young, Mickey Gilley, Malcolm Frager
- 1985 Gerald Ford, Ray Charles, David Copperfield, Roy Clark, Sergiu Comissiona, Betsy Palmer
- 1986 Tom Jones, Joe Biden, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Malcolm Frager, Red Skelton
- 1987 Randy Travis, Henry Kissinger, Marie Osmond, Tony Bennett, Imogene Coca, Frank Gorshin
- 1988 Jimmy Carter, Ray Stevens, Everly Brothers, Jay Leno, Malcolm Frager, Dave Brubeck, Ronnie Milsap, Roger Williams, Mitzi Gaynor
- 1989 Anne Murray
- 1990 Willie Nelson, Ann Margaret, Pat Boone
- 1991 Rudolph Nureyev
- 1992 Dick Vitale
- 1993 Timothy Leary, Jim Davis
- 1994 Jesse Jackson, Judy Collins, Chris Rock
- 1995 Dr. Ruth Westheimer, The Smothers Brothers
- 1996 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- 1997 Bob Dylan, Carrot Top, Adam Sandler
- 1998 Jeff Foxworthy, BB King, Clay Walker/Dixie Chicks
- 1999 Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Chesney
- 2000 Gallagher, Elie Wiesel
- 2002 Penn & Teller
- 2003 Bill Cosby, Lewis Black, Willie Nelson, George Carlin, Rascal Flatts
- 2004 Dave Chappelle, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Eric Schlosser
- 2005 Ron White, Malcolm Gladwell
- 2006 Ben Folds, Bo Diddley, Chris Botti and David Sanborn
- 2007 Mickey Rooney, Joe Bonamassa
- 2008 Vince Gill, Jeff Dunham
- 2009 David Sedaris, Loretta Lynn, Jason Aldean
- 2010 Jim Brickman, David Letterman and Biz Stone
- 2011 Tommy Emmanuel, Dierks Bentley, David Letterman and Rachel Maddow
- 2012 Jeannette Walls, David Axelrod, David Letterman and Oprah Winfrey
- 2013 Bob Knight, Hunter Hayes, Garrison Keillor, Martina McBride
In October 2013, Emens featured appearances by:
Bob Knight: one of the few coaches to have reached 900 wins
Florida Georgia Line: With their "Here For The Good Times" Tour, Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard known as Florida Georgia Line, have several hit singles that have topped the charts. Their mega-hit song 'Cruise' has now spent a total of 17 weeks in the No. 1 position on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart - the longest any song has held that spot in 50 years.
Rhythmic Circus: a troupe of 11 internationally renowned artists, created and performs the applauded theatrical production that celebrates the indomitable power of the human spirit. An award-winning ensemble pilot the audience on a musical voyage telling the tale of four tap dancing misfits who cross paths with a nutty private investigator possessing the extraordinarily bizarre power to halt time.
Soledad O'Brien: an award winning journalist, documentarian, news anchor and producer. O'Brien was the originator of Black in America and Latino in America.
Jason Mraz: Grammy winning singer and songwriter
Bradley Fields: captivates the audience with his famous magic illusions, as he turns them on to the history, the power and beauty of the language of Math!
Hello Dolly: first produced on Broadway in 1964, winning ten Tony Awards including Best Musical. This classic has become one of the most enduring musical theater hits, enjoying three Broadway revivals as well as international success. The 1969 film adaptation starring Barbra Streisand was nominated for seven Academy Awards. The show's album, Hello, Dolly!, an Original Cast Recording, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.
The Price Is Right: the hit interactive stage show that gives contestants pulled right from the audience the chance to "Come On Down" to win appliances, vacations and even new cars by playing classic games from television's longest running and most popular game show.
Hunter Hayes: The Country Music Association's choice as the best New Artist of 2012 earned his trophy because of his intense, single-minded dedication to his music. Hunter Hayes works at his craft virtually every waking hour. In his world, there are no days off.
Sierra Hull: the first bluegrass musician to receive a Presidential Scholarship to the Berklee College of Music. Signing with Rounder Records at the age of 13, Sierra has always had a passion for her music. In the past three years, she has received five International Bluegrass Music Association nominations.]
References
External links
- http://www.bsu.edu/emens
- Historic photographs of Emens Auditorium from the Ball State University Digital Media Repository
Source of the article : Wikipedia