The Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center will kick off its 10th anniversary Monday with a concert and giveaways galore.
Doors open at 6 p.m. for the start of the year-long festivities.
They will have a press event at 7 p.m. and then Current Nine will perform at 7:30 p.m.
General Manager Stephanie Rivas said UTPB cheerleaders and the drumline will be on hand to create an exciting atmosphere as patrons walk through the door.
Ginny Van Doren, director of marketing, said a number of events and concerts have been lined up throughout the year.
“We have a big 10-year concert that we will be announcing on Monday and we also will be doing extra giveaways every month that we typically don’t do. And then we also are going to be partnering with community partners in Midland and Odessa throughout the 12 months to celebrate within the community and beyond our four walls,” Van Doren said.
The community events will be fun “mini events,” Van Doren said.
“One of our first events that we have lined up is with Bird Box, formerly Spirit Creations in Midland. And we’re going to be just doing like a little after-hours event with them on Jan. 27. We’re inviting people to come out. We’ll have Wagner Noël merchandise for sale. … We’ll be doing giveaways and then we’re going to be doing something similar with Vintage Deluxe in June. …,” Van Doren added.
All the concerts will take place at the Wagner Noël, she said.
The Wagner Noël was built with contributions and through the efforts of people in Odessa and Midland.
Rivas said the WNPAC, 1310 Farm to Market 1788 in Midland, has had 10 years of ups and downs of the economy, the oil industry and the pandemic.
“But … I feel that this venue has remained strong through it all. We have really great community support. We have great support from our client, UTPB, and our donors. That really was a testament to all of that support during the pandemic, especially, because we were able to come back quicker than most and now celebrate having been able to withstand all of that for 10 years,” Rivas said.
The building was constructed to house the UTPB music department and to be a performance space that would be able to host national tours.
“The object was always to keep the parking lot full. That was kind of the directive from day one. And you know, we did that right out the gate. We have consistently had over 100 events …,” Rivas said.
Van Doren said they had a record-breaking year of 204 ticketed events in 2019. The prior year, she said, they had 197.
“Typically the average is 125, so we have grown in the amount of events that we’ve been able to have,” Van Doren added.
But she said they pride themselves on bringing quality, live entertainment to the Permian Basin and surrounding communities, she said.
Rivas said the music department and its student body have grown through the years with the addition of marching band and mariachi, for example.
Rivas said they started planning the 10-year anniversary about two years ago.
“And now we actually can’t believe it’s here next week,” Rivas said.
There were big dreams for the occasion, but they have had to evolve due to COVID.
“But but we’re really excited about what we do have planned and how we are able to celebrate in this 10th year. The level of artists that have been able to perform in this building, it’s been really fun to look back through that list. I think that’s kind of our hope for this 10-year anniversary is that it is a reflection for our patrons and for everyone who has walked through the door to look back at those 10 years and look at that list and just really be in awe of what we’ve been able to accomplish as a facility in West Texas,” Rivas said.
Some big acts have performed at the Wagner Noël. It is a good routing point between spots, and because of the quality of the venue, performers come back.
Rivas remembers the first time they put comedian Jerry Seinfeld on the marquee someone asked if it was the real Seinfeld.
“… We’re in an area where our patrons had to drive to Dallas, El Paso, San Antonio, to those larger metro areas to be able to see national tours, or national concerts. And one of the biggest compliments that to this day I hold very near and dear is that people say I can’t believe I just saw a show that I crossed off my bucket list and I get to go home and sleep in my own bed,” Rivas said. “They were able to do it right here at home and that’s really special to us.”
Hotels and restaurants also benefit from the shows, Van Doren said.
“It’s always been nice that this venue sits between Midland and Odessa and it’s equally supported by both communities. But then on top of that, we have so much support from our surrounding area — from Monahans, from Andrews, from Big Spring from all of those smaller communities around us,” Rivas said.
She said they hope to close the year out in October with a documentary looking back at the WNPAC and hearing from some of the donors and community members about what the facility has meant to people in the area.
