King Center for the Performing Arts Completes Most Successful Season in 31-year History

By  //  November 25, 2018

KING CENTER for the performing arts pulled in about $3.8 million in ticket sales

The King Center for the Performing Arts on the Melbourne Campus has completed the most successful season in its 31-year history. More than 125,000 patrons attended performances that pulled in about $3.8 million in ticket sales. The King Center’s endowment also rose to $7.8 million, an 8.5 percent increase.

More than 125,000 Patrons Attended Performances

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – The King Center for the Performing Arts on the Melbourne Campus has completed the most successful season in its 31-year history.

More than 125,000 patrons attended performances that pulled in about $3.8 million in ticket sales. The King Center’s endowment also rose to $7.8 million, an 8.5 percent increase.

“It was our best season ever thanks to the hard work of our great staff, who often labor around-the-clock to stage performances,” said Steve Janicki, the King Center’s executive director.

“It’s an amazing job and the buzz around town about what’s going on there is incredible,” said Board of Trustee Chair Alan Landman.

“The King Center is an important and vital cog in our community.”

Maxwell C. King Has Devoted His Life To Other’s SuccessRelated Story:
Maxwell C. King Has Devoted His Life To Other’s Success

The 1983 Florida State Legislature provided the funds for preliminary planning and design work for the King Center and the facility opened its doors in 1988.

Since that time, it has had a profound impact on the cultural and artistic landscape of Brevard County and Central Florida.

The need for a performing arts center in Brevard County had been apparent for many years.  Periodically, task forces were formed to try to garner the necessary funds, but each time the costs were deemed prohibitive and the idea was abandoned.

As the Melbourne campus of the then Brevard Community College began to reflect a pattern of growth, the college was then able to justify the construction of an auditorium—one that would not only fulfill the needs of the college but also the long-identified cultural needs of Brevard County.

Under the leadership of Dr. Maxwell C. King, former president of Brevard Community College, the means to achieve this goal became a reality. Enrollment patterns at BCC indicated that south Brevard was evolving into the population center of the area.

The 1983 Florida State Legislature provided the funds for preliminary planning and design work for the center. Subsequent legislative funding for construction became available in 1985 and 1986 for the $12.3 million facility.

ABOVE VIDEO: Dr. Maxwell C. King is a legendary Brevard County visionary who has inspired thousands to achieve their goals through the pursuit of higher education. King was honored with the 2014 Central Florida Humanitarian Lifetime Achievement Award during a Gala event at the Hilton Melbourne Rialto Place.

Diverse Array of Programming

The Brevard Performing Arts Center was completed in the spring of 1988. Designed as a state-of-the-art, multi-use facility, the theatre offered a diverse array of programming, including popular artists, Broadway touring shows, classical artists, ballet and contemporary dance, opera, country music artists, family-oriented events and children’s theatre.

Today, the 126,000-square-foot King Center includes a 2,016-seat performing arts hall, 250-seat Studio Theatre, art display areas, dance studios and rehearsal halls. In addition, the facility is available for meetings, weddings, business functions, graduations and other private events.

Today, the 126,000-square-foot facility includes a 2,016-seat performing arts hall, 250-seat Studio Theatre, art display areas, dance studios and rehearsal halls. In addition, the facility is available for meetings, weddings, business functions, graduations and other private events.

In the summer of 1989, the Brevard Community College District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to rename the facility the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts in honor of the college’s president who had been instrumental in making the center a reality.

The King Center continues to fulfill its mission to improve the quality of life on the Space Coast.

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