The Jerome Westheimer Center for the Performing Arts will be hosting their grand opening celebration on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 3 p.m. The event will include four Broadway stars, the University of Oklahoma Jazz Band, a duet between two students in the Ardmore orchestra program, and a special dedication ceremony.

PAC Executive Director Nick Genola said he is excited for the Broadway performers to come to southern Oklahoma.

“Each one of them will be singing two songs, and three of them will be singing the lead vocal lines from the shows they were in,” Gelona said. “A mixed choir of local high school kids will be singing all of the ensemble parts. So, some of our students will be able to sing with Broadway performers before they are out of high school.”

The Broadway performers singing will be:

• Steven Booth who has performed in shows such as “School of Rock,” “Kinky Boots,” and “Elf the Musical.”
• Erin Clemons who has performed in shows such as “Hamilton,” “Les Misérables,” and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”
• Christine Dwyer who has performed in shows such as “Wicked,” “Waitress,” and “RENT.”
• Gregory Treco who has performed in shows such as “Hamilton,” “Taboo,” and “The 12.”

In addition to the performances, there will also be a special dedication ceremony for the piano and special climate-controlled room in which it is stored.

“The dedication ceremony last month was primarily to dedicate the building and the three major rooms,” Gelona said. “One of the things the Westheimer Foundation wanted to do for us was allow us to open up the naming rights for the different things in the rest of the building.”

“The first thing that we have chosen to do is to name our brand-new Steinway grand piano and the temperature-controlled room after Electa Baker.”

The late Mrs. Baker was an Ardmore native who attended Dunbar School and graduated from Douglas High School in 1937. After graduating from Langston University, she returned to Ardmore to teach at Douglas High School and later Ardmore High School until her retirement in 1981.

Tickets for the event are currently on sale and cost between $20 and $30. Seats in the lower orchestra section are $30, the upper orchestra are $25, and the mezzanine are $20. They can be purchased online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/jeromewestheimer/7356 or by calling the box office at 580-221-3080 ext. 2501 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. every day through Friday. You can also leave a message at this number and receive a call back to reserve your place.