The City of Manitowoc has, over the past couple of years, really focused on renewing the splendor of the downtown area, and one of the biggest draws to downtown Manitowoc is the Capitol Civic Center. Matt Schliesman, Executive Director of the Capitol Civic Center, was on the WCUB 980 AM “Breakfast Club”, and he spoke about the history of the performing arts center. The Center was originally used as a vaudeville and silent movie theater which means that the architects that built it had to focus heavily on acoustics. Schliesman told us that “you can stand in the middle of the stage, talk at a normal tone of voice, and you can be heard perfectly at the back of the balcony.”
There is no doubt that there is amazing history in that building, but as time goes on, upgrades need to be made. There have been several upgrades made in recent years, but they were all made with a focus in mind. “We try to walk a fine line between honoring the historical décor and ambiance of the venue, and yet being a contemporary place where people want to go,” Matt explained. “It looks kind of formal but it knows how to let its hair down.”
One upgrade that will be done this summer will make guests a lot more comfortable while taking in whatever show happens to be adorning the stage. They are going to be ripping out the old seats and replacing them with what Schliesman describes as “larger, more comfortable seats” which will offer more leg room. He said that they are trying to make the venue “much more user-friendly for our patrons of today and the patrons of tomorrow.”
The next major show at the Civic Center will be the Kids of Wisconsin, who will be performing their show, “The Beat Goes On”, which will feature music from Cher, Billy Joel, The Doobie Brothers and many more. Tickets can be purchased at the box office, or at CCCShows.com.
