The Temple of Music and Art - Tucson, Arizona
330 S. Scott Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85701
About
The Temple of Music and Art was built in 1927 [3], located in downtown Tucson. The theatre houses various types of performances, including musicals, plays, and art shows. With 627 seats in the main theatre [1], a cabaret upstairs for smaller performances, and an art gallery upstairs there is a multitude of options to explore.
History
The Saturday Morning Music Club [2] created this space where it was originally used to house performances as well. The theatre went through a period from renovation from 1970 to 1976 when it became El Cine [2], an outlet for screening Spanish language moves, which after then was returned to original use. The building was going to be destroyed in 1982 but it was purchased by the city [2], saving the building. It was reopened in 1990 [3] hosting the Arizona Theatre Company to again start performances and arts. With a long history, many great names have come through the theatre in fields of opera and music and it continues to house many great performances today.
Location
Within downtown Tucson the Theatre is located close in proximity to the Childrens Museum of Tucson and the Museum of Contemporary Arts. The location itself does not feature parking but that allows the patio to become a space for activities. It is near 4th Avenue and more specifically located off S Stone Ave and E 14th Street. Currently, there is only a few other shops in the plaza, so the Temple of Music and Art stands out when passing it on Stone Ave. While there is not dedicated parking there is a lot of on street parking near Mc Cormick St and E 14th Street or anywhere around the plaza.
Today
Since the theatres reopening there have been thousands of attendants per year and it continues to expand outside of Tucson and Phoenix. Most of the venue’s continuation has been due to the Arizona Theatre Company's continued efforts to keep the space alive. Its external architecture has remained mostly the same, but the interiors have received renovations to keep them up to date. The Temple can host a wide range of events including weddings, private parties, art installations, classes, rehearsals [1], and more.
Arizona Theatre Company
The Temple of Music and Art is home to the Arizona Theatre Company. The Arizona Theatre Company is a performance arts organization that delivers high quality theater production, along with educational system for the Tucson youth community. They have more than 800 educational activities available within the Tucson and Phoenix area [1] and seeks to reach an even wider audience. This theatre company is now host of the venue and the seating chart, email list, and ticket information is all available at the website below.
Arizona Theatre Company Website: https://atc.org/
TUCSON
BOX OFFICE HOURS
Mon - Fri: 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m
1-833-ATC-SEAT (1-833-282-7328)
Temple Art Gallery
Within the location the Arizona Theatre Company also hosts art galleries. These galleries are open to the public from 10am to 4pm, 90 minutes prior to all performances. [1] The gallery frequently attempts to cater the art to adjust to the shows causing there to be a wide range of art in rotation. There is also a small bar and dining area where the gallery is and it is frequently used for other events outside of art as well.
Janos at the Temple
Recently the Arizona Theatre Company paired with Chef Janos Wilder [1] to host lunch and dinner menus for before and after performances. Wilder has been cooking for over 40 years [1] and is an award-winning chef. There is also typically an attempt to cater the items to match the shows, such as sandwich names or overall theme of the restaurant. Janos at the Temple is located downstairs just to the left of the entrance.
Cabaret Theatre
The upstairs theatre within the Temple of Music and Art is used for more intimate performances. The theatre can fit up to 80 people [1] and has been the host of many performances in the past. The space is rentable and becomes more of a community space, rather than always being hosted by the Arizona Theatre Company. Many high school performances have rented this space out if they want to do something independent of the school's performances.
The Alice Holsclaw Theatre
This theatre is what has been being referred to as the main theatre, with a 627-person capacity [3], it hosts the main events that take place at the Temple of Music and Art. This is a concert hall rather than a performance space, primary used by the company themselves but will be rented out to larger dance studios or music venues. The main stage ranges from Irish dances to ballet and the Summer program from the Arizona Theatre Company performs on this stage throughout the Summer. This stage is located in the immediate front of the building after passing through the patio.
Summer on Stage
The Arizona Theatre company hosts a summer program called Summer on Stage where they seek to educate youth in performance arts. This is another source of traffic that the theatre receives regularly and keeps it open throughout the year. The Summer of Stage program gets attention from many of the local schools and is a place where teens can educate themselves on the arts.
Footnotes:
[1] Home - Arizona Theatre Company (atc.org)
[2] http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/37929
[3] https://azopera.org/blog/explore-our-new-venue-temple-music-and-art
