- Chevrolet Theatre
The Chevrolet Theatre, originally the Oakdale Theatre, is a venue for music and other performances located in
Wallingford, Connecticut in theUnited States .Founding/Early Years
The 1,200-seat Oakdale Theatre opened in
1957 under a tent in the middle of an alfalfa field. The facility has grown over the years. In1972 the tent was replaced with a wooden dome that accommodated 3,000 seats. A rotating stage was located in the center, creating a theater in the round. The Oakdale played host to numerous nationally known acts, includingLed Zeppelin , Cream,The Beach Boys , Tom Jones,Joan Baez , andJohn Sebastian .Expansion
In the mid-1990s, the Oakdale was transformed again to become a year-round 5,000-seat performing arts center. The project changed the facility from a theater-in-the-round to an end-stage, amphitheater arrangement. Ground-breaking took place in late
1995 and the new 120,000-square-foot theater was completed in mid-summer1996 . The $20 million project included the design of a new theater, with the old "dome" becoming its lobby, a 5,000-square-foot stage house with orchestra pit and trap room, backstage support including performers and crew accommodations, a loading dock and scenery-handling area, public spaces, restrooms, and extensive indoor and outdoor concessions. It is now the largest theater in the state of Connecticut. The new theater was officially opened by country superstarsBrooks & Dunn .Oakdale hosts major touring productions and Broadway shows, in addition to contemporary pop, rock, R&B, country and comedy talent, including
Coldplay ,Paper Route (band) ,David Gray ,Steely Dan ,Jerry Seinfeld ,The White Stripes ,Stone Temple Pilots ,Dream Theater ,Air Supply ,ZZ Top ,Dave Attell ,Bob Dylan ,Andy Williams ,Dave Matthews/Tim Reynolds ,The Moody Blues ,Trans-Siberian Orchestra ,Britney Spears ,Lewis Black ,Mitch Hedberg ,The Kinks ,The Cranberries ,Tony Bennett ,Tina Turner ,Nora Jones ,Josh Groban ,Brooks & Dunn , Chicago, theBeach Boys ,Duran Duran and theSmothers Brothers . The theater was also a brief topic on the Fox animated comedy series, "Family Guy ".Over the years as the health of the theater's founder deteriorated, the venue was sold. It was renamed the 'Career Builder.Com Oakdale' Theater in the early 2000s and later, the Chevrolet Theatre in deference to corporate sponsors. However, despite such sponsorship, it remains known to patrons as simply, "The Oakdale Theater."
External links
* [http://www.chevrolettheater.com/ Official site]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.