Arizona Financial Theatre

Arizona Financial Theatre

Exterior view of the theatre (c.2009)
Former names	Dodge Theatre (2002–2010) Comerica Theatre (2010–2019) Arizona Federal Theatre (2019–2022)
Address	400 West Washington Street
Location	Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Owner	JDM Partners City of Phoenix [1]
Operator	Phoenix Downtown Theatre LLC Live Nation
Capacity	5,000
Construction
Broke ground	September 2000
Opened	April 11, 2002 (2002-04-11) [2]
Architect	Dan Meis of NBBJ
General contractor	CORE Construction
Website
arizonafederaltheatre.com

The Arizona Financial Theatre (formerly known as the Dodge Theatre, the Comerica Theatre and the Arizona Federal Theatre) is a multi-use theatre in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona. The venue seats 5,000 people. ^[3]

History

Jerry Colangelo, longtime former owner of the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks, was one of the original investors. The facility, designed by Dan Meis of NBBJ, was designed to fill the need for performers that don't need a huge sports stadium, but are too large for the smaller, intimate venues. ^[4]

Construction began in September 2000 with CORE Construction as general contractor. ^[5] It opened in the spring of 2002 as part of the ongoing redevelopment efforts in Downtown Phoenix, and reached the 2 million mark in attendance in 2009. Live Nation began operating the venue in 2007. ^[6] The theater's name was first changed in October 2010 after Comerica Bank acquired the naming rights. ^[7]

On December 18, 2019, the theatre was renamed to Arizona Federal Theatre, as Arizona Federal Credit Union owned the naming rights. ^[8] On July 11, 2022, the theatre was renamed once again to Arizona Financial Theatre ^[9] after the rebranding of Arizona Federal Credit Union into Arizona Financial Credit Union. ^[10]

Events

The theatre was the stage for the comedy movie Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie . In addition to this, George Lopez's most recent HBO Special, America's Mexican, was aired live at the venue. Rock group Chickenfoot recorded their live album Get Your Buzz On there and it also hosted the 2010 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and the 2015 NFL Honors. It is also a venue for Broadway and family stage shows that play the Phoenix area, and in the theater's first few years the Arizona edition of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular took place at the venue.

References

1. Padgett, Mike Dodge Theatre hopes to raise curtain on big-time shows Phoenix Business Journal, January 27, 2002. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
2. Dodge Theatre hits 2 million in attendance since 2002 Archived August 13, 2013, at archive.today Downtown Phoenix April 30, 2009. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
3. "Arizona Financial Theatre | Live Nation Special Events".
4. Stone, Andrew (May 13, 2014). "10 Questions With… Dan Meis". Interior Design. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
5. "Legacy". CDS Framing. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
6. Luebke, Cathy Live Nation promises more eclectic mix at Dodge Theatre Phoenix Business Journal. January 11, 2007. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
7. "Dodge Theatre becomes Comerica Theatre". Phoenix Business Journal . October 7, 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2011.
8. "Comerica Theatre in downtown Phoenix has a new name". Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
9. admin (January 2, 2024). "Arizona Financial Theatre Seating Chart and Map". ARK Theatre. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
10. "Arizona Federal Theatre has a new name: Arizona Financial Theatre". KNXV. July 11, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.

33°26′55″N112°4′45″W / 33.44861°N 112.07917°W / 33.44861; -112.07917