Outdoor Amphitheaters: A Classic Setting for the Performing Arts
By Tom Downs
Posted June 12, 2008, at 1 p.m.
Summer draws people out of doors to beaches, parks, festivals and to live performances in open-air amphitheaters. The amphitheater harkens back to classic times, when the Greeks and Romans constructed their eternal stone theaters all over the Mediterranean. Even as architecture and technology advanced, outdoor entertainment never really went away, with performers and audiences continuing to share an appreciation for art presented in relaxed, natural confines. No matter who's on the stage — opera singers, rock stars, jazz combos, Shakespearean actors or a philharmonic symphony — there's an undeniable allure to enjoying it beneath the stars or a clear blue sky. The U.S. has a great many amphitheaters in settings that range from exquisite natural rock formations to state-of-the-art roofless structures.
Aerial of Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver.
© Jim Wark Lonely Planet Images.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Colo.
The Taj Mahal of American amphitheaters would have to be Red Rocks Amphitheatre, near Denver. Set between gorgeous sandstone monoliths, Red Rock provides natural acoustics that singers and musicians fall in love with. The Beatles, U2, R.E.M., Bjork and countless others have graced its stage. The 2008 schedule will be announced in March or April.
Ravinia, Chicago, Ill.
No slouch is Ravinia, a 36-acre park by the shores of Lake Michigan. Come early in the day to claim a spot on the expansive lawn and enjoy a picnic before exploring the grounds. After the sun goes down, the evening is capped with an enchanting candlelit concert. Ravinia is the summer home of the Chicago Symphony, and a host of marquee performers fills out the annual schedule. Thus far, Lyle Lovett, k.d. lang, Natalie Cole and Placido Domingo have been booked for 2008. While the lawn is the most fun, reserved seating is also available closer to the stage.
Wolf Trap, Vienna, Va.
On a former farmstead near Washington, D.C., Wolf Trap is a unique national park dedicated to the performing arts. Set amid 130 acres of woodlands and rolling hills, its centerpiece is the lovely indoor-outdoor Filene Center, constructed of Douglas fir beams and a yellow pine ceiling. The stage's varied performances have included a production of "Hair," Chinese acrobats and the Royal Ballet. The 2008 schedule will be announced in April, but Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" and a production of "Les Miserables" are already committed.
Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, Calif.
Sunny Southern California's legendary amphitheater, the Hollywood Bowl is a simple band shell set in a natural canyon that sharply rolls up into the Hollywood Hills. The current shell, built in 2003, is acoustically superior to the Frank Lloyd Wright original. The Los Angeles Philharmonic makes its home here in summer, and an astonishing line-up of musical stars has filed through. Past performances have included such disparate talents as Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Mötley Crüe, The Doors and many others. The annual calendar features world and jazz festivals along with classical series and fireworks shows. The Cure is slated to play the Bowl in 2008.
Greek Theatre, Berkeley, Calif.
The entire University of California campus, beside the Berkeley Hills, is a natural amphitheater, and the classically styled Greek Theatre takes full advantage. Its columned stage, fit for an ancient orator, faces a semicircle grandstand and, behind that, there’s more casual lawn seating. There isn't a bad seat in the house. Theodore Roosevelt, the Dalai Lama, Bob Marley and Bob Dylan have captivated audiences here. U.C. students annually stage a bonfire before the Cal-Stanford Big Game. Look for the announcement of summer 2008 shows in the spring.
Bio: Tom Downs is the author of Lonely Planet's "New Orleans 4," which won the Society of American Travel Writers Lowell Thomas Gold Medal for Guidebooks in 2007.
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