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.,
