Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is a not-for-profit performing arts complex located at 701 Okeechobee Boulevard in West Palm Beach, Florida. Opened in 1992, the center holds more than 800 events each year, with more than 400,000 people in attendance annually. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life in Palm Beach County by presenting a diverse schedule of national and international artists and companies of the highest quality, by offering comprehensive arts education programs, by providing a Palm Beach County home in which local and regional arts organizations can showcase their work, and by providing an economic catalyst and community leadership in West Palm Beach. The Kravis Center paved the way for CityPlace, the Palm Beach County Convention Center, and other redevelopment in downtown West Palm Beach, and was a major factor in Palm Beach County's evolution into Florida's Cultural Capital.
History and Background
A major performing arts facility had long been a dream of Palm Beach County residents, and efforts to build an arts center began in the early 1950s, with the first step coming through the arrival of the Palm Beach Playhouse, later known as the Royal Poinciana Playhouse. In 1968, a local arts pioneer named Mary Howes, along with a group of other residents, formed Fine Arts Festival, Incorporated. They sponsored six benefits to raise funds to build an arts center that would accommodate major opera, orchestra, ballet, and theatrical productions, going so far as commissioning architect John Volk to draft a model, and optioning land next to the current site of the West Palm Beach Auditorium.
When Alexander Wallace Dreyfoos Jr. moved to West Palm Beach in 1968, the main performing arts venue in Palm Beach County was the new West Palm Beach Auditorium. By 1980, the Arts Center Committee was actively pursuing the construction of an arts center financed solely with private funds, although a site at Currie Park on Lake Worth in West Palm Beach had already been selected and the community was not yet ready to meet the financial challenge the center presented. Initial efforts to secure public funding focused on a proposed county one-cent sales tax referendum. Although the referendum was defeated, results showed that some thirty percent of voters had agreed to tax themselves to build a world-class performing arts center, which organizers found encouraging.
A proposed site at Currie Park in West Palm Beach met opposition from nearby residents. A second site at Palm Beach Community College in Lake Worth had legal difficulties. Ultimately, Henry John Rolfs, Sr. and David Paladino contributed 5.4 acres of their unbuilt Downtown/Uptown project, now CityPlace, and a statue honoring Rolfs adorns Okeechobee Boulevard next to the Kravis Center.
Fundraising efforts proceeded beyond everyone's most optimistic hopes, and by the summer of 1991, it was evident the center would likely achieve an unheard-of goal — a fully funded opening. The accomplishment, especially in light of the high percentage of private funding, made international headlines. The entire campaign ultimately raised more than $40 million through private donations, the most successful arts campaign that Florida has ever seen.
In September 1992, the Kravis Center doors opened to an anxiously awaiting community. The center's dedication week hosted tens of thousands of patrons for a full week of free performances featuring local arts groups. The Gala Grand Opening took place on November 28, 1992, and featured performances by the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor James Judd, with Burt Reynolds as Master of Ceremonies, and performances by Roberta Peters, Isaac Stern, Leontyne Price, and Ella Fitzgerald.
The Namesake: Raymond F. Kravis
Raymond F. Kravis was a prominent geologist and philanthropist from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who wintered in Palm Beach for more than 35 years. Born in London, England, Kravis grew up in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and shortly after graduating from Lehigh University with an Engineer of Mines degree in 1924, he moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he served as Chairman of the Board of Raymond F. Kravis and Associates, Inc. Through his expertise, the company became one of the country's leading oil and gas consulting engineering firms, and his skill in matters of mergers and acquisition completions, estate evaluations, and his innovative use of the production oil and gas payment method gained him widespread professional respect.
Having achieved success within his professional life, Kravis began a career in philanthropy noted for its energy and generosity, with his support of the community touching the areas of higher education, human relations, cultural affairs, and the health and welfare of both the young and old. In 1985, a consortium of his friends donated more than $7 million to name the facility for Mr. Kravis. Dreyfoos brought together friends of philanthropist Raymond Field Kravis (1901–1993) to donate millions in his name, and personally donated at least $6 million. Raymond F. Kravis died in October 1993 at his winter home in Palm Beach at the age of 92, just one year after the center bearing his name held its grand opening.[1]
Venues and Facilities
The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts includes the 2,195-seat Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall, the 289-seat Rinker Playhouse, and the 170-seat Helen K. Persson Hall. It also features the outdoor Michael and Andrew Gosman Amphitheatre with a capacity for 1,400 guests.
The Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. Concert Hall (commonly called Dreyfoos Hall) is the centerpiece of the complex. It is a 90,000-square-foot concert hall that seats over 2,000 guests, opened in November 1992, and serves as the main venue of the complex. The hall is named after Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr., the founding Chairman of the Kravis Center's Board of Directors. In March 2016, the Kravis Center became the first performing arts center in the world to install a custom-designed digital organ, a project funded by Alexander W. Dreyfoos.
The Marshall E. Rinker Sr. Playhouse (Rinker Playhouse) is a 5,000-square-foot black box theater accommodating 300 guests. It serves as an intimate venue for smaller-scale productions, touring shows, and local performances.
In 2003, the $31 million Cohen Pavilion was added to the complex, including the Weiner Banquet Center and Gimelstob Ballroom, and the Picower Foundation Arts Education Center with the Persson Rehearsal Hall.
The complex and grounds occupy 10.6 acres of land with facilities totaling 853,500 square feet, which includes a freestanding 1,187-space parking garage. The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. is not City, County, or State owned; it is a private 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, with an annual operating budget of $26 million, with earned revenue representing 80% and fundraising representing 20%.
The center was built on a historically notable site. The center was built on the former site of Connie Mack Field, the spring training home of the Kansas City Athletics until 1962, when it was replaced by West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium.
Design and Architecture
The building was designed by architect Eberhard Zeidler, principal partner in the firm of Zeidler-Roberts Partnership of Toronto, Ontario, whose other major works include the World Trade Center and Liberty Place One in Philadelphia. Acoustician Russell Johnson of Artec Consultants in New York was responsible for the acoustic design, with other major works including Symphony Hall in Birmingham, England and the Morton Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, Texas. The contractor was Blount, Inc. of Montgomery, Alabama, whose other major works include the Louisiana Superdome and the reconstruction of Kuwait following the Gulf War. The finished structure is distinguished by its copper and marble exterior, giving it a striking visual profile on Okeechobee Boulevard near downtown West Palm Beach.[2]
Education and Community Programs
Education has been a central part of the Kravis Center's mission since it opened its doors. Nearly 3 million Palm Beach County students have attended performances through the center's education programs. In 2007, the Palm Beach County Cultural Council honored the Kravis Center with the first Muse Award for Arts Education for its arts education programs, which have become a national model.
The Kravis Center regularly provides a Palm Beach County venue for the following area arts organizations: the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Miami City Ballet, Palm Beach Opera, Palm Beach Symphony, and Young Singers of the Palm Beaches.
Among the center's flagship student programs is the Dream Awards. The first Dream Awards was showcased on June 3, 2018, in Dreyfoos Hall at the Kravis Center. The initiative opened itself to all public and private schools in Palm Beach County, offering two nominees — one male and one female — the chance to progress from the regional competition onto the national Jimmy Awards in New York City. The awards event also highlights a high school dramatic educator for notable inspiration to their students.
The center also runs the De George Academy for Performing Arts. Since 2012, the De George Academy has served as a launching pad for underserved students in Palm Beach County who dream of pursuing a performing arts education. The Academy provides year-round professional instruction in dance, theater, and vocal performance, as well as professional coaching in audition techniques and access to special workshops and performances. It is available to students in grades 3–8 who attend Palm Beach County Title I elementary and middle schools.
The Disney Musicals in Schools program is another notable initiative. In the 2017–2018 school year, the Kravis Center launched its first year of this collaboration with four Title I elementary schools in Palm Beach County, with selected schools participating at no cost in a 17-week musical theater residency led by a team of teaching artists trained by the Kravis Center and Disney Theatrical Group. Each school received guidance from the teaching artists, performance rights, and education support materials.
In partnership with the Youth Orchestra of Palm Beach County, the School District of Palm Beach County, and the Palm Beach County Music Teachers Association, the Spotlight on Young Musicians program has been helping students reach the stage for nearly 30 years. Since 1992, nearly 40,000 students have performed in Dreyfoos Hall, and the annual event not only showcases emerging talent but also promotes the excellent music programs within area schools.
Resident Companies and Programming
Approximately 550 performances take place at the center each season, with nearly 500,000 people visiting annually. The center presents Broadway touring productions, classical music, opera, ballet, dance, jazz, world music, family programming, and film festivals throughout its season.
Visitors can experience world-class performances, concerts, Broadway shows, and more at the Kravis Center. The center also hosts the Donald M. Ephraim Sun & Stars International Film Festival, an annual event that brings international and domestic cinema to the complex's various venues.
The Kravis Center's programming supports several prominent resident companies. Among the organizations that regularly use the center as their Palm Beach County home are the Miami City Ballet, Palm Beach Opera, Palm Beach Symphony, the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, and Young Singers of the Palm Beaches.
The annual Pack to Give Back food drive reflects the center's community outreach beyond the arts. Organized in collaboration between the Kravis Center and the Palm Beach County Food Bank, the food drive event has packed over 200,000 meals for Palm Beach County residents struggling with hunger.
On the institutional side, on March 26, 2018, the West Palm Beach City Commission approved plans for expanding the center, with completion targeted for summer 2020.
Legacy and Impact
The Kravis Center's legacy extends well beyond its performance schedule. The center paved the way for CityPlace, the Palm Beach County Convention Center, and other redevelopment in downtown West Palm Beach, and was a major factor in Palm Beach County's evolution into Florida's Cultural Capital.
The founding chairman, Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr., was the driving force behind the center's creation and construction. Beginning in the late 1970s, Dreyfoos led efforts that culminated in 1992 with the debt-free opening of the $67 million Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Philanthropist and entrepreneur Alexander W. Dreyfoos was the Raymond F. Kravis Center's founding Chairman and served on the Board of Directors until his passing in 2023.
The center's Honorary Artistic Board has historically included distinguished performers. The Honorary Artistic Board has included figures such as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Peter Martins, Itzhak Perlman, Andre Watts, and Pinchas Zukerman.