Performing Arts
Arts and cultural activities enrich the lives of everyone. Providing a wide array of arts and cultural choices is a priority in enhancing the quality of life for our citizens and serves as an important tool in retaining and attracting people and business to the City. Both a performing arts center and a conference center are important to the City's quality of life and its role as a cultural center. The Newport News Marriott at City Center, a premier full service hotel and conference center, opened in 2006 in City Center of Oyster Point. The state-of-the-art conference center accommodates up to 1,000 people in a banquet setting. The 12,000 square foot Grand Ballroom is the largest of its kind in the City. The conference center serves both the City's cultural and business needs.
The Ferguson Center for the Arts on the campus of Christopher Newport University opened its 200-seat “black box” theater and 500-seat theater and music hall in 2004 and its 1,700 seat performance hall in 2005. The Ferguson Center has emerged as a distinctive location for the presentation of the finest artists in the world. This I.M. Pei designed, acoustically-superb venue attracted more than 140,000 patrons during its inaugural season, showcasing a myriad of world-class entertainment and attracting patrons from all segments of our community and beyond to attend performances of such artists as Andrea Bocelli, Michael Crawford, Tony Bennett, the Virginia Symphony and the Royal Philharmonic and Cleveland Orchestras.
The Downing Gross Cultural Arts Center is a 51,000 square foot building dedicated to providing soul-stirring music, the magic of live theater, the thrill of dance, the enjoyment of fine art exhibits and events and the celebration of homegrown celebrities. The Center houses the Anderson Johnson permanent gallery, the Ella Fitzgerald Theater, the Thaddeus Hayes Dance Studio, a sculpture by Richard Hunt, rehearsal rooms, art and music studios, classrooms and more. The Center offers residents a place to be both participants and patrons of the arts; a place that identifies, cultivates and celebrates the talents of our youth as well as our young at heart.
The Peninsula Community Theater produces programs for five main stage and five children's theaters along with a variety of musical productions each year. They perform in the renovated 231 seat Village Theater in Historic Hilton Village.
The Historic Yoder Barn, built in 1935, has stood as a Peninsula landmark for 70 years. The preserved barn is now a theatre providing a variety of quality entertainment from musicals and plays to concerts and folk operas. Located on Oyster Point Road, the Yoder Barn Theatre holds performances year round and provides a more intimate venue for theatrical and musical performances throughout the year. Acquired in 2007 by Christopher Newport University, the Yoder Barn will serve as an additional venue for the performing arts offered by the university.
The City is further enriched by the varied and abundant performances provided by the faith community throughout the year.