The mission of the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts, University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, is to present a wide variety of cultural, entertainment, and educational performing arts to the Northeastern Wisconsin community while also serving as a home for local and University performing arts ensembles.
The vision of the Weidner Center is to create a place for members of the community to be entertained and enriched. It is also the recognition that the Weidner Center is not just a place, but also a program that evolves as the face of the community changes and diversifies. The Weidner Center will continue to respond to our changing community by providing more broad-based programs to appeal to audiences from all backgrounds and age groups.
History
The Edward W. Weidner Center for the Performing Arts opened its doors and marked the beginning of a new era of arts and entertainment for the state of Wisconsin. The Weidner Center has received rave reviews from performers and audiences alike. Its outstanding acoustics, physical beauty and state-of-the-art accommodations combine to make it one of the finest performing halls in the United States.
In the beginning...
Dr. David Cofrin offered the seed gift to begin the planning stages of the Center. Two conditions were made for the gift: the Center must be located on the UW-Green Bay campus and it should serve the entire community. Dr. Edward W. Weidner, the university's founding chancellor, began to garner community support and leadership. A major fund-raising campaign began in the late 1980s, which would eventually raise the remainder of the $18.4 million needed to build and equip the facility. Support came from community corporations, foundations, private citizens, and the State of Wisconsin. Today, the Weidner Center (named for Dr. Weidner) exists as a unique model of a "comm-university" center, which is supported by both the University and the communities of Northeastern Wisconsin.
After five years...
As the Weidner Center began to look towards its fifth anniversary in 1998, plans for expansion came to fruition, again with the support of the Cofrin Family. The plans included added restroom facilities, an expanded ticket office, more lobby space, a studio theatre for academic use, more dressing rooms and backstage storage space, and the relocation of the administrative offices. An elevator on the Center's west side and semi-private dining spaces were also part of the project. The expansion project took place in late summer of 1998.
Twelve successful years…
The Weidner Center has presented an astounding array of performances from Broadway to chamber orchestras to pop acts and numerous family events. Performers like Robert Goulet, Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Cosby, Tony Curtis, Ann Margret, The BoDeans, Willie Nelson, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, Anne Murray, Itzhak Perlman, David Copperfield, Emmylou Harris, Victor Borge, George Carlin, Harry Belafonte, Hootie & the Blowfish, The Smothers Brothers, John Denver, Da Yoopers, Bobby McFerrin, Wynton Marsalis, Steve Allen, Paul Anka, Mannheim Steamroller, Johnny Cash, Marie Osmond, and so many others have graced the Weidner Center stage. Musicals like The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, The Fiddler on the Roof, Cats, and Rent have played to sold-out audiences. Theatrical events like STOMP continue to delight packed houses.
Directions, Maps and Parking
Traveling To the Weidner Center:
2420 Nicolet Drive, UW-Green Bay Campus From
Appleton (Hwy 41 North):
* Follow Hwy 41 North to Exit 165 (WI-172/A. Straubel Airport (I-43) exit)
* Merge Right onto WI-172 East
* Follow WI-172 East to I-43 North
* Follow I-43 North to Exit 185 (WI-54/WI-57 towards Algoma/Sturgeon Bay)
* Follow 54-57 a short distance to the first exit (University Ave/Nicolet Drive).
* Turn Right onto Nicolet Drive
* Follow Nicolet Drive to the UWGB campus - Main Entrance (2nd Entrance)
From Austin Straubel Field (WI-172 East):
* Follow Airport Drive (172) east and I-43 north to exit 185 (Hwy 54-57).
* Choose the Sturgeon Bay/Algoma exit lane
* Follow 54-57 a short distance to the first exit (University Ave/Nicolet Drive).
* Follow Nicolet Drive to UWGB campus - Main Entrance.
From I-43 South or I-43 North:
* Take exit 185 (Hwy 54-57).
* Choose the Sturgeon Bay/Algoma exit lane
* Follow 54-57 a short distance to the first exit (University Ave/Nicolet Drive).
* Follow Nicolet Drive to UWGB campus - Main Entrance.
From Hwy 41 South or 41-141 North:
* Take I-43 south to exit 185 (or take 172 east, then I-43 north to exit 185).
* Choose the Sturgeon Bay/Algoma exit lane
* Follow 54-57 a short distance to the first exit (University Ave/Nicolet Drive).
* Follow Nicolet Drive to UWGB campus - Main Entrance.
From Hwy 29 or Hwy 54 West:
* Exit at Hwy 41, taking 41 north to the I-43 (exit 171, I-43 south Milwaukee).
* Follow I-43 to exit 185.
* Choose the Sturgeon Bay/Algoma exit lane
* Follow 54-57 a short distance to the first exit (University Ave/Nicolet Drive).
* Follow Nicolet Drive to UWGB campus - Main Entrance.
The City Routes:
* Follow University Ave (Hwy 54-57) to the University Ave/Nicolet Drive exit.
* Continue east along the bay to the UWGB campus - Main Entrance.
Parking at the Weidner Center
General Parking at the Weidner Center is FREE for all performances.
Valet parking is offered before most events for $7. Parking is limited to 100 cars, so we recommend you arrive early to ensure a spot.
Website:
http://www.weidnercenter.com/weidner...me/default.asp
