Levitt Denver is asking area musicians to help design pavilion
By Matt Miller
Posted: 11/16/2014 12:01:00 AM MSTAdd a Comment
An artist's rendering of the Levitt Pavilion, which will be built in Denver's Ruby Hill Park in 2016. (Courtesy of Levitt Denver)
As Levitt Denver enters the next planning stage of its upcoming 7,500-capacity amphitheater in Ruby Hill Park, project managers want local musicians to help design it.
"You can have a beautiful amphitheater, but if it sucks for the artists, they're not going to want to come back," said Levitt Pavilion executive director Chris Zacher. "We're trying to increase access to the arts from both sides (patrons and artists)."
Levitt Denver is hosting an open forum Nov. 17 for the music community to get involved in the design of the pavilion, set to open in July of 2016.
Ever wish the green room in a venue was just a little bit bigger — with showers, a fridge? Or maybe the backstage area could be better organized to make load-in smoother. These are all suggestions Zacher is hoping to hear.
"It shows that what we're building is a cultural institution," Zacher said.
After getting input from the music community, Zacher said they will bring the ideas to an architect who will start working in early 2015. "We're going to listen to everything everyone has to say," Zacher said. "Obviously there's a line; you can't have pools and hot tubs. But when someone comes to us with a brilliant idea, we'll take it into consideration."
The pavilion will host 50 free concerts a year featuring local, national and international musicians, as well as five ticketed concerts a year with the budget to bring in acts equivalent to the Denver Botanic Gardens Summer Concert Series, he said.
The Levitt Pavilion Denver is a nonprofit organization working to strengthen communities through live music experiences. It is in a public-private partnership with the city and county of Denver. The city is providing $2 million to fund construction of the amphitheater. It is currently 80 percent funded and construction is expected to start next fall. Denver will be the seventh Levitt pavilion nationwide.
Zacher expects 200-300 people to attend the forum, which will also feature an open jam session for musicians and a chance for artists to win an opening spot at the Levitt Pavilion's debut concert.
Matt Miller: 303-954-1785, mrmiller@denver post.com
Levitt denver music forum
Project managers are asking for suggestions from the Denver music community to help design the new 7,500-person amphitheater in Ruby Hill Park. The Oriental Theater, 4335 W. 44th Ave., Nov. 17. Free. 6 p.m.