Construction

During the construction of the center, two Mojave desert tortoises (an endangered species) were found dead along the road which led from the main highway to the construction site. This halted construction while an investigation by the Fish and Wildlife Service commenced. On August 18, 1994, an agreement was reached between the Heritage Arts Foundation and the US Fish and Wildlife Service in which the foundation paid a fine of $20,000 and agreed to special measures to ensure tortoises would be protected during construction and after the center opened.^[1] This included special "tortoise-proof fences" and passages underneath the road where wildlife could pass under.

Opening and "Utah!: the Musical Spectacular"

Tuacahn opened in April 1995 with a dedication by Gordon B. Hinckley and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.^[2]

The venue initially presented the musical Utah! (book by Robert Paxton, lyrics by Doug Stewart, music by Kurt Bestor and Sam Cardon, and production design by Seven Nielsen) a dramatic retelling of the founding of southern Utah through the eyes of Jacob Hamblin, an early pioneer called by Brigham Young to settle the city of Santa Clara and to make peace with the Native Americans in the region. The production used the natural canyon setting to great effect, dramatically lighting the red rock cliffs and incorporating special elements like pyrotechnics, live animals, and special effects including a flash flood that came across the stage toward the audience. Amidst the spectacle, the production's book included subjects sensitive to the Mormon population, including depictions of polygamy, the Mountain Meadows Massacre, and Jesus Christ's appearance to Native Americans, as recorded in the Book of Mormon. Audience discomfort with these issues and lukewarm reviews prompted the rewriting of the show every season. Minor changes were made between the premiere in 1995 and the 1996 production. A major rewrite was undertaken for the 1997 production by Reed McColm, but major characters remained and Jacob Hamblin was still central to the story. In 1998, the book and lyrics were completely rewritten by Tim Slover and Marvin Payne, creating a fictional storyline that emphasized the peacemaking efforts between pioneers and native peoples. The production was remounted one final time for an abbreviated fall season in 2002, with Stallion Cornell providing yet another new book based on the 1996 version of the show.^[3] "Utah!" has not been produced since the 2002 season.

"Broadway in the Desert"

In 1999, with diminishing interest in "Utah!" and lackluster ticket sales from the 1998 season, the Tuacahn's board of directors changed the theater's programming to a season of more popular, family-friendly Broadway musicals presented in rotating repertory. The first season of this new format consisted of a double bill of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, both of which were wildly successful with visitors from all United States and 25 other nations. In 2002, productions of Annie Get Your Gun and Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat broke all previous box office records. This occurred again in 2003 when The Wizard of Oz broke all box office records at Tuacahn.

In 2005, under the direction of the new artistic director Scott Anderson, Tuacahn commemorated their tenth season by presenting Beauty and the Beast and a third production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. These two shows once again beat all previous ticket sales. The successful production of "Disney's Beauty and the Beast" began a relationship between Tuacahn and Disney Theatricals that has lasted over a decade. In 2006, MTI selected Tuacahn as one of eight regional theaters in the United States to present the first post-Broadway semi-professional productions of Les Misérables. In June 2009, Tuacahn was awarded rights to present the post-Broadway regional-theater premiere of Disney's Tarzan. Due to this success, Disney awarded them the rights for the post-Broadway regional premiere of The Little Mermaid. The 2014 season, which included The Little Mermaid, The Wizard of Oz, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, was its most successful season to date hosting over 260,000 patrons. Tuacahn announced its 2015 season would include "Disney's Beauty And The Beast", "Disney's When You Wish", and "Sister Act". "Disney's When You Wish" was a world premier.

Tuacahn Amphitheater

The Tuacahn Amphitheater is a 1,920-seat open-air amphitheater. It consists of three sections of seating (Left, Right, Center) with 32 rows A (front) - FF (rear). All seats have backs and arms, but are not cushioned. Entrance to the amphitheater is from the rear, requiring all patrons to descend the stairs toward their seats. Patrons with limited mobility are encouraged to sit near the top (rear) of the amphitheater. There is extra leg room on row O which is sometimes used during the productions when actors walk through the audience. Wheelchair accessible seating is available on the back row (FF) only. The stage has a concrete subfloor with a concrete pass-under tunnel to get from stage left to stage right out of view of the audience. The rear of the stage is open to expose the desertscape and red rock cliffs behind the stage which contains lighting, sound, pyrotechnical, and water effects installations. The area behind the stage is a mixture of natural stone and naturally colored concrete. This concrete riverbed was installed during initial construction to facilitate a massive 55,000 gallon flood of water that comes from the back of the canyon and across the stage toward the audience. Though conceptualized and custom-built for the "Utah!" production, this special effect and other water effects have been featured in numerous productions at Tuacahn.

The Hafen Theater

The Hafen Theater is a 328-seat indoor proscenium arch theatrical facility. It is part of the Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts facility, though semi-professionally staged productions have been featured in this theater in the past.

Black Box and Dance Studio

The black box theater and dance studio are used primarily as working spaces for school classes, rehearsals, and special events. They are not commonly used for theatrical presentations.