ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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Marietta Daily Journal/SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2013
COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Rises occasion to the
Venue fills niche market as its geographic reach grows By Noreen Cochran ncochran@mdjonline.com
f the 420,000square-foot, $145 million Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre hasn’t expanded physically since it opened in September 2007, it may be because it was born fully grown.
many genres to be able to appear in the region that in the past might have had to skip Atlanta due to lack of a facility that fit their needs.” A-list attractions in the past year include chart-topper Bonnie Raitt, one of 237 acts selling a combined 221,000 tickets. It’s a figure that was as robust in 2012 as it was in 2007. “We have been fortunate that our number of shows and ticket sales have Its 2,750-seat John A. remained steady over the Williams Theatre and five years,” 10,000-squareTaormina said. foot Kessel D. Those five Center’s Stelling Jr. years included ballroom have economic appearances by risen to the impact /9DD actor-comedian occasion from Billy Crystal, the very beginfilm director ning, according Tyler Perry, shock-rocker to Managing Director Alice Cooper, Broadway Michael Taormina. star Kristin Chenoweth, pop “We experienced overwhelming success,” he said. stars Daughtry and Justin Bieber, jazz and soul greats “We consistently attract Al Jarreau, Ramsey Lewis large audiences to a variety and Chaka Khan, plus of events that include conblack-tie events like the certs, ballet, opera, educaSoul Train Awards and the tional performances, family Georgia Music Hall of shows and comedy.” Fame inductions. Taormina attributes that The Georgia High success to its niche market School Musical Theater — in between the 1,700 seats at Symphony Hall and Awards, formerly named the Shuler Hensley Awards the 4,700 at the Fox Theafter a Broadway star from atre, both in Midtown Marietta, are also handed Atlanta. out at the venue. The cere“The center’s 2,750-seat mony has grown in stature size is a ‘sweet spot’ in the over the years, earning a market and filled a need in nomination in 2011 for a the region,” he said. “It Southeast Emmy Award. enabled performances from
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The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center has seen its geographic reach grow, attracting tourists from across the state as well as Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. They come under the umbrella of the venue’s school program called ArtsBridge, which has also expanded from field trips to master classes and other activities. Resident companies remain the Gas South Broadway Series, the Atlanta Ballet and the Atlanta Opera, which grew its audience to sell out all of its “Porgy and Bess” performances in 2011. “That’s huge,” Taormina said. The center’s geographic reach has grown, attracting tourists from across the state as well as Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. And, after downsizing in 2008, the venue is back to its full complement of 41 full- and part-time employees.
TOP 2012 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER ACTS Show Attendance
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The Princess and the Goblin
9,708
The Atlanta Opera’s Carmen
9,469
West Side Story
6,229
Chicago
5,381
Fresh Beat Band
2,730
Bonnie Raitt
2,690
Kristin Chenoweth 2,678 Legend of Zelda
2,670
Sinbad
2,612
The Shins
2,597
Mezzo-soprano Maria Jose Montiel sings the role of Carmen in the Atlanta Opera's 2012 production of Bizet's Carmen at the Cobb Energy Centre.