Bringing stories to life
Posted
12/1/2008
Every day, stories
come to life on stages across America. From musical theater to
comedies, dramas to plays, there are professional theaters in all
50 states. This spring, the nation's largest professional Christian
theater company and one of the most-attended live theaters on the
East Coast, Sight & Sound Theatres, opened a second location in
Branson, Mo.
The
339,000-square-foot (31,493-m2) theater is almost a near replica of
the Sight & Sound Millenium Theatre in Lancaster County, Pa.
With seating for 2,085 and 22 wheelchairs, the theater features
oneof the country's largest stages at 26,500 square feet (2,462
m2). The 300-foot- (91-m-) long and 105-foot-(32-m-) deep stage
wraps around three sides of the main floor seating area, bringing
the show to all sides of the audience. The stage fly loft allows
performers to soar 110 feet (34 m) in the air.
The theater's 20,000-square-foot (1,858-m2) lobby features a
picturesque dome ceiling, second-level viewing atrium and mock sets
above the information desk. The facility has two basement levels
where live animals used in the productions are housed and trained.
Specially designed passageways surrounding the theater allow for
the movement of cast and show animals to various parts of the
theater, as well as the backstage dressing rooms.
The project was
constructed in two phases: The first was completed in 2007, and the
second was done in spring 2008. A pre-engineered metal building
from American Buildings Co., Eufaula, Ala., was designed for the
area directly above the basement that houses the animals. To
accommodate the manufacturing of sets for the theater's first
production, "Noah-the Musical," the metal building was completed in
April 2007 as part of the first phase of construction. The metal
building is 100-feet (30-m) wide and 450-feet (137-m) long with
40-foot (12-m) eave heights to accommodate the huge theater sets.
The structure was designed for an EIFS application to the exterior
walls and features R-20 walls and an R-19 roof. The construction of
the main facility was completed simultaneously with the set design
and construction.
Sight & Sound
Theatres, Branson, Mo.
Award: American Buildings Co.'s 2007 Excellence in Design Building
of the Year
Architect: Butler, Rosenbury & Partners, Springfield,
Mo.
General contractor: CDI Contractors LLC, Little Rock, Ark.
Builder: Williams Construction Inc., Springfield
Metal building: American Buildings Co., Eufaula, Ala.,
www.americanbuildings.com;