GERMANTOWN, Tennessee —
The Grove, an outdoor venue adjacent to the Germantown Performing Arts Center, opened for business Thursday night.
Thursday's debut features live music with Amy Lavere & Will Sexton, as well as a food truck, and the movie La La Land.
The following is from the Germantown Performing Arts Center:
Bring your chairs, choose a spot on the TruGreen Lawn, purchase beverages from our full bar in the First Horizon Foundation Plaza, grab a snack from a local food truck, and settle in for an evening showcasing The Grove and the Video Wall.
Due to precautions around COVID-19, we are restricting these events to a minimal number of guests per night. Children are encouraged at The Grove!
Please be mindful of social distancing guidelines for the entire family and help keep your kids six feet from other patrons.
Winner of six Academy Awards® including best director for writer-director Damien Chazelle and winner of a recording-breaking seven Golden Globe® awards, LA LA Land is the most acclaimed movie of 2016. The high definition and amazing cinematography will jump off the screen in The Grove.
The Grove is designed to be an outdoor reflection of GPAC’s indoor space, aiming at the same level of experience, quality, diversity of talent and educational experiences, presented in a lush shady-setting called the TruGreen lawn.
There is a covered 40’ by 60’ stage that features a giant 18’ by 31.2’ extremely high definition video screen. The screen is mounted on a trolley, allowing for it to be moved upstage and “become” the performance, or downstage, to assist or enhance a performance.
All types of performances are possible - theater, dance, orchestras and every genre of music, and there will be both ticketed and non-ticketed events.
There is a paved entrance plaza, called the First Horizon Foundation Plaza, to welcome guests, featuring a large covered bar, seating areas, performance areas for small combos, the Donor Wall, art areas and more. There is also parking and electricity for four food trucks and a VIP area.
Quite significantly, The Grove’s technology allows for GPAC to simulcast performances or rehearsals taking place indoors in the Duncan-Williams Performance Hall onto the giant screen. It is this capability that puts GPAC in the ranks of the most innovative performing arts center in the nation, as it is currently one of only three centers employing this technology. The other centers are the New World Center in Miami and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
The Grove’s park-like setting can accommodate approximately 1,200 guests to a wide variety of events - some specifically for families and some intended more for grownups, attracting folks seeking a more casual atmosphere in which to enjoy the arts. In this way, The Grove will serve GPAC’s needs as well as those of its primary arts users by attracting new audiences and providing an exciting alternative performance space.