KCMETROPOLIS.org
Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

What do you get if you put together 40,000 square feet of glass, 10.8 million pounds of structural steel, 25,000 cubic yards of concrete, 1.93 million pounds of plaster, 27 steel cables, each holding up to 500,000 pounds of force, with incredible amount of enthusiasm, imagination, and optimism that endured all the obstacles for some 15 years? Answer: the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City.

After a long period of increasing excitement, KCPA opened its doors to local and national media on Thursday, September 15 for a press conference on the eve of its grand opening. With their heads up, eyes scanning every corner, press members delightfully marveled at the serene interior of the main lobby as they set up for the day.

The conference started with designer Moshe Safdie and KCPA CEO Jane Chu's address. Safdie talked about the technical details of the building, and shared the story of its genesis. His excitement for bringing this large-scale artwork to bear was apparent as he stated, "In terms of theater design, in terms of acoustics—I know it is a cliché—this is world class. It's more than world class; it's the best that there is around. And I think that is a testimony to the collaboration that took place. I cannot think of any building type that requires that kind of collaboration of different disciplines coming together into one product."

Apart from constructing a state-of-the-art performance space, the creators also envisioned bringing people of different interests together in one place. Safdie shared his intentions in creating an experience for the community, "An experience that is being offered to feel that they are part of community hence the great advantage of having one lobby for both halls. I am thinking of the day when there will be a concert that brings lots of people with jeans on one hall, and there is a black tie event with long dresses on the other, and intermission overlaps just enough that they all mix up."

Safdie concluded his address with a humorous anecdote, "People said to me when we started this 'Don't try this [in] the Midwest.' Congratulations to everyone on the dream come true."

After the address, the Kansas City Symphony welcomed the press members in Helzberg Hall under the baton of Michael Stern. The creators seemed overjoyed to show off the fantastic acoustics of the hall as the players prepared for the gala concert. Symphony musicians rehearsed with what looked—and sounded—like a newly found enthusiasm, and rightly so. I couldn’t help myself join in on the overexcitement that filled the room with the first down-bow of the strings. I can see Helzberg Hall becoming one of the most preferred live music recording venues, as well, for the sound that reverberated in the hall was already of CD quality.

The rehearsal stop was followed by a guided tour of the structure. Behind the white elegance of the main lobby lies a brightly colored maze. Backstage and the back rooms are color-coded. Each section; dressing rooms, storage spaces, and corridors to designated halls, are all identified by painting the corresponding spaces in matching colors.

As theater production consultant Michael Ferguson explained, "The building works for everybody, so there are not just artists but there are also designers and obviously patrons and the people coming through front doors."

KCPA is built with the efficiency in mind to the minutest detail. However, if you get a chance to see the world behind the lobby, you will understand that—although it may seem like a trivial detail—color-coding the sections is one of the smartest solutions for keeping people from getting lost in this labyrinth.

During the tour Safdie and acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota answered eager questions of the press members. Upon the question "Which one is the best seat in the house?" Toyota answered with obvious pride, "Unfortunately we don’t have any best seats, although we have many, many excellent seats."

At the luncheon that followed the tour, press members got a chance to mingle with each other and the creators and exchange impressions. Awe seemed to be the common denominator for everyone's feelings. One theater production consultant from Manhattan told us as he shared his admiration, "I wished we had a concert hall like this in New York City."

As experienced first hand by the members of media, KCPA is a promise that is delivered after a long waiting period, and a promise for what is to come. 

Top Photo: KCPA designer Moshe Safdie's Press Q&A (Photo by Nihan Yesil)

By Nihan Yesil

Classical, New Classical, Jazz, Theatre Contributor
Nihan Yesil is a composer/performance artist and currently a candidate of M.M.Composition at the UMKC Conservatory. She composes both acoustic and electroacoustic music and has a strong interest in experimenting with the perception of sound and language.

Nihan started studying classical music with her father, M. Emin Yesil, at an early age and earned a bachelor's degree in Jazz Composition in Istanbul, Turkey, studying with Lawrence D. "Butch" Morris, Ali Perret, and Aydin Esen. She participated in festivals and artist residencies inclduing the Henry Mancini Institute, Czech-American Summer Music Institute, Brevard Music Festival, Electronic Music Midwest Festival, Women in New Music, Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium, Escape to Create Artist-in-Residence Program and I-Park Artists' Enclave Residency where she also served as a selection committee member for the composition program. Her compositions have been performed at number of venues both in Turkey and the U.S.

Her favorite activity is experiencing or witnessing any form of artistic creativity. Nihan is a big fan of the Internet and keeps several blogs where she presents her unsolicited opinion on different subject matters.