History
The theatre was built after community demand for a large public venue and included in the budget of £165,000 were donations from the community.
The construction caused controversy within the community due to the destruction of parts of the rose gardens to make room for the theatre, concerns about the adequacy of the seating capacity of 497 and criticism of the mural which adorns the front of the building.
The finished theatre was opened on Saturday 29 June 1963 by Ald. Ivan J. Jack during an official ceremony which featured a preview of Oklahoma! the first large production to be staged at the theatre.
Minor upgrades continued until the late 1990s when the theatre received a multi-million dollar upgrade as part of a Civic Centre upgrade. Upgrades in the project included new upstairs and downstairs foyers, complete refurbishment of the auditorium, new scenery loading dock, new sound system and other technical upgrades. However the backstage area remained largely untouched.
Following its re-opening in 2001, the theatre now presents an annual theatre season and hosts national and international touring productions with local professional and community users.
Read more about this topic: Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre
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