The Norton Center for the Arts

Picture Courtesy of Centre College Web Site

Groups such as, the Boston Pops, the Chieftains, the Nitty Gritty Dirt band and Three Dog Night have all graced the halls of this months featured “Day Trip”. Broadway Theater, dancers and performers from all genres have used the stage to showcase their talent. The Norton Center for the Arts, located in Danville, is a quick drive from Berea and a promising night of enjoyment for all.

An architect named William Wesley Peters, of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, built the Norton Center in 1973. The Center was originally named the Regional Arts Center, what was renamed in 1982. The complex was renovated in 1994 and its Newlin Hall is now acknowledged to be one of the optimum acoustical designs in the country. The center gained its name from Jane Morton Norton; she acted as a supporter for art education and served as a Centre College trustee.

This spring the Norton center offers numerous occasions for visitors to experience the arts. James Earl Jones, The Boston Pops, Ensemble Wien-Berlin and the musical “the Music Man” are just some of the names appearing within the next month. A complete schedule of events can be accessed via the Internet at http://www.centre.edu/web/nortoncenter/currentseason.html or on our BereaOnline calendar at http://www.bereaonline.com/calendar.htm

Tickets are available in numerous manners, designed to accommodate to the needs of all visitors. Individual tickets for shows are available as early as three weeks before the showing. As well as, for those who want to see it all, there are “Everything Tickets” available at the beginning of each season. These tickets allow visitors to purchase the tickets at a discounted price while receiving a pass to see Special Events. Anyone with children should mark their calendar for the two Children’s theater series taking place in April and May. Ticket and additional information is available at the Norton Center for the Arts box office in the Grand Foyer. Or for those who don’t have time to visit the center in person for tickets, a toll-free phone call is a convenient way to secure tickets. Call 1-877-HITSHOW or 1-877-448-7469.

The trip to Danville takes only 35 minutes from Berea. After entering Danville travel on Lexington Ave., then take a left on Maple Ave. at the stop light. This is the beginning of Centre College’s campus. Here visitors should turn left at the stop sign and stay on this road until the Norton Center appears. Parking is behind the building on the right. For a more detailed map visit http://www.centre.edu/web/nortoncenter/directionsnorton.html or contact the Norton Center for the Arts.

Each year the Norton Center for the Arts hosts approximately twenty-two shows, and seats fifteen hundred visitors per show. The sheer atmosphere is amazing; and just think – it’s only a “day trip” away!