CenterStage Foundation Announces Landmark Theater Stage-Naming Rights Partnership with Dominion Resources

CenterStage Foundation this evening announced that Dominion Resources, Inc. will donate $2 million toward renovations of CenterStage's Landmark Theater. The stage at the historic performing arts complex in Richmond's Fan District will be known as the "Dominion Stage."

The announcement of this leadership gift to the Foundation's Landmark and Legacies Capital and Endowment Campaign was made by CenterStage Executive Director Richard M. Parison, Jr., Dominion CEO Thomas F. Farrell II and Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones at CenterStage's Carpenter Theatre preceding the Richmond Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker. Dominion has been the lead sponsor of The Nutcracker since 2009.

In celebration of its donation, Dominion distributed to each member of the audience a free, one-day pass to the City's downtown ice skating rink, Farm Bureau Winter Park at RVA on Ice.

The theater will be officially renamed the Altria Theater and the stage will be renamed in honor of Dominion in late 2013, with the final renovations being completed in 2014. During the pre-show presentation, Farrell was joined onstage by Dominion lineman Myron Burrell to unveil the new logo for the soon-to-be renamed stage.

The ongoing renovations, which were approved by the City Council in July, will include significant safety and infrastructure improvements, including the fire alarm and suppression system, plumbing and electrical. The Landmark Theater's acoustics systems and several patron-centered amenities will also receive a much-needed upgrade.

"As part of our commitment to the arts and our community, Dominion is pleased to donate $2 million to help renovate Richmond's historic Landmark Theater," said Farrell. "Once the renovation is complete, our region will enjoy a complement to the state-of-the-art Carpenter Theatre and boast yet another world-class venue for the performing arts."

"The City of Richmond is grateful to Dominion for their generous contribution to the Landmark Theater renovation fundraising campaign and endowment," said Mayor Jones. "This investment will further our mission to make the renovated theater a catalyst for economic and cultural development throughout the city and the region as a whole."

"We are fortunate to have a partner like Dominion which understands the power of the arts and the impact it, as a corporate citizen, can make on our community," said Parison. "Dominion has been a great supporter of CenterStage and our artistic programs and we are very grateful for its continued commitment to supporting the performing arts at our CenterStage venues in the City of Richmond."

The Landmark and Legacies Capital and Endowment Campaign is seeking not only to restore and renovate CenterStage's Landmark Theater, but to grow the Foundation's endowment through contributions from local, state, and national sources. This endowment was recently renamed in honor of Jim and Bobbie Ukrop as the James E. and Barbara B. Ukrop Legacy Endowment.

The purpose of the Ukrop Endowment is to cement the cultural legacy of CenterStage Foundation by providing greater funding stability by augmenting annual giving and helping the performing arts center fulfill its mission to foster a lifetime engagement in the performing arts through dynamic artistic programming, transformational educational outreach and collaborative community partnerships.

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