Coralville center provides new home for Corridor's wandering artists

CORALVILLE - City Circle Acting Company is homeless no more.

Orchestra Iowa, Hancher, the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, West Music and renowned Iowa City jazz pianist Dan Knight also have a new state-of-the-art home in which to display the state of their arts.

The new $11.2 million Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, 1301 Fifth Ave., is ready to strut the full extent of its stuff when City Circle's production of “Hairspray” hits the stage tonight. The musical explores '60s sounds and race relations, which producer Chris Okiishi of Iowa City said mirrors issues the Corridor is facing today.

“It talks about moving forward, changing times,” he said. “Iowa City and the Corridor are facing a changing racial demographic as well. It speaks very much to the ways our communities are changing.”

Originally slated for six performances through Sept. 19, an extra show has already been added for Sept. 15.

Orchestra Iowa will perform at the venue twice in the 2011-2012 season, with its “A Baroque Christmas” concert Dec. 4 and an April 12 Chamber concert.

“This is just an incredible facility that really meets a niche we haven't had, both from a sense of stage size and space to audience space and audience amenities,” said Robert Massey, Orchestra Iowa's CEO. “You can get there, you can park there. Coralville has done a wonderful job with the area.

“From the moment you walk in, it's very professional. Everything you want is there,” he added. “It's another venue for audiences, but more so for artists who haven't had quite the facilities this facility has.”

Hancher also is headed there in the spring, for a Los Angeles Guitar Quartet concert March 6.

“From what I understand, (the center) is serving local organizations and I think it's great. It's terrific,” said Chuck Swanson, Hancher's executive director. “With Iowa City and Coralville, it's an arts world here. To have another opportunity for a venue - especially a world-class venue like this - it's a great addition to the community.

“Especially now for us, being without a home, it's a first-class facility,” Swanson said.

Orchestra Iowa and Hancher officials plan to continue using the facility even after their much-larger flood-damaged homes are rebuilt in the coming years.

“There are particular events it's going to be perfect for us - maybe some chamber music or a classical concert or the right dance event or theater event,” Swanson said. “We do a broad range and some of our performances we do for an intimate-size space.”

“Hancher is going to be pleased to be a tenant of the hall. ... We feel very confident we can make this as much of a Hancher experience as we can without our building.”

The members of the vagabond City Circle community theater troupe are over the moon to have landed a permanent spot after performing in 14 other venues since 1997.

Above all the amenities, the volunteer troupe is most looking forward to “getting to know the theater really well,” Okiishi said, “and knowing that our members and our audience can find us at the same place every time. We're really curious to see what that feels like, because it's never happened before.”