SPOTLIGHT: Cecilia Cendana

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SPOTLIGHT: Cecilia Cendana

A true patron of the arts, Cecilia Cendana supports DMPA in countless ways.

PHOTOGRAPHER: DUANE TINKEY

CECILIA CENDANA

Volunteer, season ticket holder, donor, neighbor: She’s all that and more.

When Cecilia Cendana

says the Civic Center feels like home, it’s not hyperbole. She lives just minutes away.

“I’ve always been amazed by the theater,” she says, with her easy smile. “I moved downtown to be closer to the Civic Center. And when something is at Cowles Commons, I’m at that, too.”

If you’ve been to events in either space, you’ve probably seen Cendana. She has season tickets for the Willis Broadway Series; she’s a regular volunteer, including in the Patron Circle Lounge; and she’s a donor, too.

Even though she doesn’t drive, Cendana never let that be a showstopper. “They would have a matinee show on Thursday, and that meant I could take the bus home,” says Cendana, who was working downtown at the time. “So, Thursday afternoons, I was there.”

Once she moved downtown, she started volunteering with DMPA, earning matching funds from her employer for the time she invested. One of her favorite activities was helping children with Discovery Party activities before Wellmark Family Series shows. “That’s how I got started,” she says.

“I gave my time, and I was glad to have that opportunity.”

Soon she was donating more than just her time. She was especially excited to support the donordriven Applause Series, which provides students with $1 tickets to world-class entertainment at the Civic Center.

“That really hit the spot for me,” says Cendana. “Kids need to be exposed to the arts. They are becoming fans, advocates for the arts. And who knows, you might have a future star in the making.”

The arts played an important role in Cendana’s youth. She studied dance in her native Philippines, so she knows the effort it takes to be a professional. That’s why her season ticket is in the second row. “When I am there, I can see their expressions. I can see their emotions. I feel like I’m part of the show.”

Her love of music draws Cendana to concerts of all kinds. But nothing tops her love of Phantom of the Opera. She has seen it 13 times, 12 of them just down the street. “I saw it once in New York at the Majestic,” she said, “but nothing beats the Civic Center.”

She proudly carries that message with her wherever she goes. In fact, she convinced a friend from San Diego to come to Des Moines for Hamilton this year.