As the last few precious days of summer-like weather meet with what will ultimately be the harsh temperatures of winter, we start looking to go indoors.
That includes heading inside to see our favorite shows and bands, and I could not think of a more spectacular place to catch a performance than Pfeiffer Hall at North Central College.
With a capacity of 1,057 people, split between two levels, there is not a bad seat in the house. And the acoustics offer resonating clarity unlike other rooms in the area. Pfeiffer Hall is a traditional proscenium house. A large voice can fill the space easily.
“With amplification and our new sound system, the sound is excellent,” said Brian Lynch, Fine Arts Director for the College.
Pfeiffer Hall, named in honor of Barbra Pfeiffer by her sons, is 4,500 square feet under one roof, including an interior height from the floor in front of the stage to the ceiling of 65 feet and a 48 foot wide by 32 foot deep stage.
This turn-of-the-century structure played host to its first show, “Ice Bound,” the Pulitzer Prize play written by Owen Davis on April 24, 1926. When Pfeiffer Hall opened, it was the largest auditorium in Illinois west of Chicago.
Pfeiffer Hall has been well taken care of over the years. And over those years its stage has seen the likes of Robert Frost, Martin Luther King Jr., Henry Kissinger and a few U.S. Presidents.
This fall and winter at Pfeiffer Hall you can see Bill Cosby, Kenny Rogers, Foreigner, as well as musical productions such as “Into The Woods” and “Suessical,” to name a few.
For a complete list of theater events and fine arts at North Central College, visit finearts.northcentralcollege.edu.