Coralville Center for the Performing Arts prepares for grand opening

IOWA CITY - A more than $11 million community theater is just days away from opening its doors in Coralville.

It's been two years since ground was broken on the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, and in just a few days, the public is invited to check out the completed project.

"It's going to be a crazy week," said Megan Flanagan, the facilities Managing Director. "We're going to be racing right up to the last minute, the way we often do in the theater world."

The public is invited to an open house on Saturday afternoon with the first public performances scheduled for Sunday. The official fall season begins on Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m. when the performing group City Circle presents "Hairspray."

"It's going exactly as expected," said Technical Supervisor Eric Burchett. "It's a big theater and there's lots of sophisticated things."

The theater seats nearly 500 patrons and the stage, sound board and light booth are state of the art.

The theater is just one part of a multi-phase project at the corner of Fifth Street and 12th Avenue in Coralville. Work is still far from complete on the rest of the six-story plaza which will include 28 residential condominiums and commercial space.

For more information about the center, including a calendar of events and ticket information, click

here.