MetroSpective
Auditorium brings new class of opera to Denver
By Jessica Kowal
kowalj@mscd.edu
The streets surrounding 14th and Curtis rang with celebratory music Sunday as a new forum for opera in Denver opened its doors at the Denver Performing Arts Center.
Hundreds of spectators gathered to watch Mayor John Hickenlooper and other state officials rededicate the Quigg Newton Denver Municipal Auditorium, also known as the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. The masters of ceremony opened the doors of the newly renovated auditorium to reveal a lavish opera house and salon.
Numbers from the Ellie
15 Number of backstage dressing rooms. Before the renovation, there were only two rooms available
to performers.
9 Including the Ellie, thenumber of opera houses world-wide that feature seat-back subtitle
systems.
2,268 Number of seats in the newly renovated
auditorium. There are 1,216 on the main floor.
21 Number of private, eight-seat VIP boxes. There are seven in the orchestra, mezzanine and loge.
In the ceremony's opening comments, Hickenlooper claimed this new addition to Denver to be a "lyric crown jewel" where the sound "will knock your socks off."
The City of Denver received a donation from the family of Ellie Caulkins to remodel the auditorium in January of 2004. Eleanor "Ellie" Newman Caulkins is known as Denver's first lady of opera for her constant support of our city's enrichment. She has served on the board of Opera Colorado since it began over 20 years ago and has earned the distinguished title of Opera Colorado's Lifetime Honorary Chair. A graduate of the University of Colorado, Caulkins has devoted herself to artistic education and promotion since the 1960s.
"Ellie Caulkins herself is a community treasure," wrote Jack Finlaw, Denver's Director of Theaters and Arenas. "It is fitting that this new jewel of an opera house be named for her."
Other donations exceeding a combined total of $10 million helped to give this 1908 auditorium a 21st century makeover. The opera house was modeled after the best opera houses in Europe and is quickly gaining the reputation as one of the most advanced in the world.
The Ellie Caulkins Opera House seats 2,268, including 21 private boxes and seven VIP boxes.
The Elizabeth Estey Chandelier, a 500-pound fixture that dangles gracefully from the ceiling, is one of the most breathtaking features of the structure. It is 16 feet in diameter and 12 feet high. When the lights are dimmed, the chandelier's glass petals fold up, creating the illusion of a 15-foot flower.
The layout of the opera house allows for varying levels of enjoyment. The balcony, loge, mezzanine and orchestra will provide different views of the performances. The seating is designed with the hall's acoustics in mind, so the singers' voices will be projected in such a way that all audience members can hear the words distinctly.
The opera house uses the Figaro System to break down any possible language barriers. The Figaro System, Inc. is a company based out of Santa Fe, N.M. that has designed a "seat-back text delivery system." This subtitle system translates the lyrics of the opera into one of eight languages, allowing audience members to choose a translation with the push of a button.
As the ribbon was cut, thunderous applause from the audience echoed the public's response when the auditorium originally opened in 1908. The original facility was the nation's first municipal auditorium. Seven thousand lights illuminated the auditorium's exterior for that historic event.
The refurbished auditorium will continue its tradition of astonishing audiences and performers alike, and is sure to become a beacon for opera lovers in Denver and beyond.
