METAIRIE, LA – On Friday, June 19, 2015, Jefferson Parish will host a free Open House to welcome the public into the new Jefferson Performing Arts Center.
An official ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 2:30 p.m.
Visitors can then enjoy a sneak peek inside the new state-of-the-art theater facility with guided tours, provided free of charge, every half hour from 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
The Jefferson Performing Arts Center is located at 6400 Airline Highway in Metairie between LaSalle Park and Zephyr Field.
The 1,000-seat theater features an 89-foot wide stage area equipped with an operable orchestra lift that can be raised and lowered by a motor-driven system, and an innovative acoustic design.
The Jefferson Performing Arts Society, Artist in Residence at JPAC, as well as operator and manager SMG, will be on-hand to welcome visitors into the new home for the cultural arts in Jefferson Parish.
According to Chad Calder with The New Orleans Advocate the JPAC took more than a decade and a half to build and was plagued by a series of issues that more than doubled its original price tag. Calder reports the construction alone ended up costing the state and parish $54.5 million.
On Saturday June 20, SMG and the Jefferson Performing Arts Society will join Jefferson Parish in presenting a “Gala Opening.”