THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 26, 1995 TAG: 9507260370
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM HOLDEN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
Cellar Door Productions of Virginia released on Tuesday the latest drawings of a $17.7 million amphitheater it is building with the city of Virginia Beach.
The rendition shows a sprawling complex of buildings, tents, food courts and parking lots surrounded by three man-made lakes and all focused on an enormous canopy covering the main stage.
Located on a site adjacent to Princess Anne Park, the facility already is under construction. It will host its first show next spring with, possibly, the Virginia Symphony performing the inaugural concert.
The facility - it has yet to receive a formal name - will have 7,500 seats under the canopy and space for an additional 12,500 people to spread a blanket on an artificial hill that will offer a clear view of the stage.
In addition to basic amenities like restrooms and first-aid stations, the amphitheater pavilion will feature a barbecue tent, souvenir stands, administration building and VIP section.
When it opens, the amphitheater is expected to invigorate the region's music scene by drawing some of the biggest names in pop, rock, country and jazz - artists who tend to avoid South Hampton Roads because they can play at better venues elsewhere.
``It will transform the music scene, not just here but across the whole state,'' said Bill Reid, president of Cellar Door of Virginia. ``It will be the second-biggest venue in Virginia outside of our amphitheater in Manassas, which I consider to be Washington, D.C., and a completely separate market.''
The park near Manassas, which is called the Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge, has a capacity of 25,000 guests. When it opened in June, it quickly drew two of popular music's bigger acts - Jimmy Buffett, a singer-songwriter whose albums have sold tens of millions, and Elton John, an internationally recognized composer and singer.
``The amphitheater in Manassas is already regarded as one of the nicest in the country, and I know this because the artists have told me that,'' Reid said. ``All our performers have raved about it. We have much the same design team working in Virginia Beach, so we hope to capture the same beauty here.''
The Virginia Beach site today is a busy place with earth-moving equipment normally found on highway construction projects pushing dirt into a 40-foot high hill that will serve as the amphitheater's backbone.
This initial construction phase should end next month followed by 30 days of little activity while the dirt settles. In fact, the project's initial cost rose $1.8 million because Virginia Beach's notoriously wobbly soils and high water table forced architects to use more dirt to stabilize the site and deeper pilings to support the stage.
In the early fall, the Chesapeake contractor, W.M. Jordan, will begin construction of the stage, restrooms and other buildings.
Some issues remain unresolved, including corporate sponsorship and whether people will be allowed to bring their own picnic dinner to the concerts.
``We're in the process of discussing sponsorship with many different corporations,'' said Reid, who declined to say which companies are involved.
As for the picnic dinners, Reid said, ``We'll probably have some events where there will be a picnic allowed and some where it may not be. That's kind of a gray area we have to talk to food service people about.
``Some other venues hold shows where you can bring your own food in and some where you can order a picnic dinner. We hope that the food offered at this amphitheater will be first-class, so that you won't mind paying for it.''
Reid said there are probably no more than 20 first-class amphitheaters in the country today, some of which are privately financed and others that are public-private partnerships like Virginia Beach. They are a fairly new arrival on the concert scene, which for generations has unfolded in smoky clubs, midsized concert halls, and, starting in the 1970s, in giant outdoor stadiums.
``There really aren't that many,'' Reid said. ``People like them because they are designed for a complete musical experience. You cannot only enjoy the music outside, with the wind in your face and, from an acoustic standpoint, the sound is perfect. The sight lines are great - there shouldn't be a bad seat in the house.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color Artist rendering
When it opens next spring, the facility will have 7,500 seats under
the canopy and space for an additional 12,500 people to spread a
blanket on a man-made hill. It will give attendees a clear view of
the stage. The amphitheater pavilion will feature a barbecue tent,
souvenir stands, an administration building and VIP section.
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA BEACH AMPHITHEATER by CNB