Henrietta, N.Y. — Rochester Institute of Technology cut the ribbon Friday on a new theater.
The 747-seat, 50,388-square-foot RIT Performing Arts Center — designed by Los Angeles-based architect Michael Maltzan — will be used for performances by students and community groups, the school said.
“This will be a space, or it is a space, where technology enhances artistry, where access is foundational and where collaboration thrives,” RIT President Bill Sanders said.
The grand opening ceremony included an event emceed by legendary 13WHAM anchor Don Alhart, who moderated a discussion with Sanders and past RIT presidents Albert Simone, Bill Destler and David Munson.
“This theater was designed specifically for musical theater productions, but (also) to be useable for a whole broad range of other performing arts, as well as university events,” said Munson, who served as president from 2017-2025 and still serves in an emeritus role. “We put our finger on musical theater because … you don’t have to be a singer or an actor or a dancer to be involved.”
BACKGROUND: RIT breaks ground on new theater
Munson said “almost any kind of student on our campus” can be involved in productions at the theater in some capacity.
“There are tons of things backstage — costumes, sets,” he said. “Nowadays, the sets are actually animated, they move. RIT has one of the top animation programs in the nation.”
The first performance in the theater, a sold-out 75-minute cabaret-style show featuring 11 acts of RIT students, is scheduled for Friday night.
“There will be hundreds of students involved, and they’re not all out here on the stage,” Munson said. “A whole lot of them are doing their dancing in the wings as they’ve got the headphones on and they’re directing other people what to do.”
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