Performing Arts Center

As volunteers and contributors to the county Performing Arts Center, my husband and I were privileged to receive an invitation to the opening concert.

This was the day to which we had been looking forward way back pre-Segerstrom to the Catherine W. Quick era, when we were inspired by this determined and visionary little woman to work toward building a performing arts center in our culturally starved Orange County.

We watched the growth of the center. As a musician and teacher, I was excited to know that we were helping to provide a center not only for our generation but also for our children and grandchildren.

We did not know what to expect when we entered Segerstrom Hall. The magnificent portal and sweeping lines of the “Fire Bird” sculpture were breathtaking. The soft blue carpeting, mirrored walls and wood-veneer accents in the lobby, hallways and staircases were pleasant enough. But where were the chandeliers? Where was the elegance that should have been apparent with a $70-million budget? As we entered the auditorium, I was struck dumb and still have not recovered completely from the shock!

The stark maroon or burgundy color, if you will, of the entire hall swooped down upon me in a depressing cloud. There is absolutely no relief from that color. The starkness of the whole effect is what bothered me. The red plush seats hardly blended or supplied a contrast to the walls and stage setting. What would be wrong with carrying through the soft color of the blue carpeting used in the lobby and hallways? Combined with the red seats, the hall would have come alive and a pleasant restful atmosphere could have been created.

I realize that acoustical demands dictated the structure of the hall, and there is no denying that acoustically it approaches perfection. But the monotony created by the oppressive maroon should have been broken, and the harsh lines softened by a better use of colors.

Will these stark, dull, depressing colors of “Henry’s Big Red Barn” survive the test of time?

ELAINE N. DYSART

Santa Ana