Ruth Eckerd Hall
Rock, pop, jazz, classical, opera or Broadway - it all happens here at Tampa Bay's Ruth Eckerd Hall.
Other than being known and appreciated for it exceptional acoustics, Ruth Eckerd Hall has accumulated admiration from people all over the world for offering the finest in performing arts and theater. Since its opening in 1983, this hall has been a venue to performances of many legends, national as well as international.
Among the hundreds of artists who have performed here are Anita Baker, David Koz, Sheryl Crow, Anne Murray, Joan Rivers and B.B. King. The list is long and exhausting and still continues to grow. Exceptional performances and quality ambiance is what you come to expect of this venue. The venue hosts concerts, recitals, plays and special events.
While this place is a source of entertainment to many individuals, Ruth Eckerd never steers away from its mission to "present the finest in the performing arts and provide performing arts education, making each available to all segments of the community." Inspiring and engaging at the same time, the performances held at this place tie the audiences to the arts and culture of the society they live in. Additionally, the stakeholders of Ruth Eckerd Hall make it a point of including the younger generations in their vision of a better community. Art education programs are offered by their education department. The programs, although focusing on students, embrace adult learning as well. Annually, an average of 130,000 students and adults take advantage of activities and classes in performing arts.
Now when this performing arts venue is slowly approaching 30 years of existence, it has been embedding a lot in the pages of history. In November of 2002, Ruth Eckerd Hall was nominated for Pollstar's Theater of the Year Award. In March 2005, Pollstar named the venue as the number one in ticket sales in the Southeast for theaters with 2,500 seats or fewer. In April 2008, Pollstar ranked Ruth Eckerd Hall sixth in ticket sales amid theaters with 5,000 or fewer seats in the world. The hall was later ranked number one in ticket sales by Billboard Magazine. Recently, the center was nominated for a Pollstar Concert Industry Award in the category of Theater of the Year.
Ruth Eckerd Hall has seen many awards and recognitions, and there's a lengthy trail of history behind the success of this venue. November 1977 saw the foundation being laid for this center when June Baumgardner Gelbart donated a 38-acre parcel of land to the City of Clearwater. The hall officially came into existence in 1983 and since then, there's no stopping to the wonders of this performing arts center.
The only performing arts center to receive the designation of a Major Cultural Institution by the State of Florida, Ruth Eckerd Hall is a beautiful structure with seating for 2,180 people. Musical shows, orchestras, dance troupes, stand-up comedies and children shows have all enthralled the visitors for many years. The stunning environment at this center pulls crowd of an average 400,000 people every year. Soothing senses or witnessing hair-raising performances, Ruth Eckerd Hall has given these and everything in between to its guests.
There are several facilities within Ruth Eckerd Hall. The different halls within this structure offer great meeting and banquet facilities. Ruth Eckerd Hall has been a host to many special wedding as well, occurring mostly in their main Margarete Heye Great Room that accommodates up to 400 people.
There are several dining options nearby for a nice dinner after the performance. If you are on a romantic night out, a walk along the waters of Clearwater Beach would give it a perfect closure.
1111 N Mcmullen Booth Road
Clearwater, Florida 33759
(727) 712-2759
http://www.rutheckerdhall.com
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