1991: The city transforms the old Auditorium Arena into a 2,830-seat, state-of- the-art Broadway roadhouse called the Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre.
1995: Opera Colorado’s season-opening “Tosca” draws sellout crowds and rave reviews.
2001: Comedian Jerry Seinfeld plays two sold-out nights on his first tour since ending his popular TV show.
2002: Disney Theatricals chooses Denver to host the first national touring production of “The Lion King.” More than 1,800 fans stand in line for tickets, and in all, 220,000 attend the 10-week run that infuses an estimated $58 million into Denver’s economy.
2004: The “Radio City Christmas Spectacular” tour draws 159,041 for 64 performances in 39 days.
2004: North High School becomes the first (and only) high school to stage a production at the Buell, “The Zoot Suit Riots,” drawing 2,100.
2005: The Ellie Caulkins Opera House opens next door as home to the Colorado Ballet and Opera Colorado.
2007: “White Christmas,” a collaborative production by the Denver Center Theatre Company and Denver Center Attractions, draws 107,567.
2008: The Buell undergoes a $1.2 million upgrade in preparation for the Democratic National Convention, including a series of “Rock the Vote concerts,” a civil-rights ceremony hosted by Danny Glover and Vivica Fox, and an “eTown” radio taping with David Crosby, Graham Nash, James Taylor and Ani DiFranco.
— Compiled by
John Moore
