January 14, 2008                                                                                                                                               Associate Director of Marketing

                                                                                                                                                                               Phone: 253.573.2360

                                                                                                                                                                               Email: laceyl@broadwaycenter.org

Broadway Center Celebrates Grand Opening of Education Studio and New Headquarters of Broadway Center Conservatory

Tacoma, WA – In partnership with the City of Tacoma,  Broadway Center for the Performing Arts will be celebrating the grand opening of their new Education Studio and Broadway Center Conservatory Headquarters with an Open House and Reception on Friday, January 18, 2008 from 9:00am to 11:00am. The new Education Studio is located on the north side of 9th and Commerce Street, Broadway Center will use the Education Studio for a variety of education and outreach programs, serving as the headquarters for the recently launched Broadway Center Conservatory.

Grulich Architecture & Planning and Rushforth Construction, the local architect of record and selected general contractor, ensured timely remodeling of the new space. 

The Education Studio and New Headquarters was made possible through numerous contributors.   Once the Bing Crosby Historical Society and then an art gallery, the new space will now be deemed the Headquarters of the Broadway Center Conservatory.  As the largest provider of performing arts education programs in the South Sound, Broadway Center and Conservatory offers year-round arts programming in the form of classes and workshops for all ages and experience levels. This year the Conservatory offers more than sixty classes, all of which are taught by expert faculty. Class schedules are available online at www.broadwaycenter.org.  

The Grand Opening will begin at 9:00am, with coffee and pastries provided. Immediately following the reception, guests are invited to join more than a thousand local students at the Education Matinee of Hangin’ with the Giants in the Pantages Theater.  Hangin’ with the Giants is a multimedia exposure to jazz that brings kids face to face with legends like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Miles Davis. The show is also accompanied by live music performed by the Metta Quintet, making this a unique and inspiring educational show. 

For more information about the Grand Opening Celebration, please contact Benjii Bittle at 253.591.5891, or at bbittle@broawaycenter.org. To contact the Broadway Center Conservatory, please call Nyree Martinez at 253.573.2517, or at nmartinez@broadwaycenter.org. For class schedules or for information about upcoming events visit www.broadwaycenter.org.

The Broadway Center for the Performing Arts gratefully acknowledges the following for support of the 2007-2008 Season: ArtsFund, Ben B. Cheney Foundation, The Boeing Company, City of Tacoma, Forest Foundation, The News Tribune, Pierce County Arts Commission, Sequoia Foundation Pierce County Program, and Washington State Arts Commission.

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