Okay, They Built It. Will You Come?

You've probably noticed the apical roof of the new Tempe Center for the Arts from the Loop 202, but were too busy not getting killed in Tempe-corridor traffic to wonder what the hell it is. Find out during the Tempe Center for the Arts Grand Opening celebration. You'll need to plan your afternoon carefully, as there are seven (count ´em!) different performance areas.

It's hoped by the Tempe powers that be that the long-awaited performing-arts facility on the banks of Town Lake will give Tempe the sort of cultural cachet that Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and Mesa Arts Center provide their respective cities. The TCA, however, has a different operating philosophy, booking its various performance areas with resident companies such as the Tempe Symphony Orchestra, Childsplay, Arizona Wind Symphony, Desert Dance Theatre, and Tempe Little Theatre, all of whom will be on hand providing entertainment. And whether you love the new building's design or loathe it -- reactions are mixed -- you can learn why the architectural firm Architekton made the decisions it did at two separate presentations.