Museums, galleries & stages / Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Central Campus
Power Center
U-M's mirrored-glass theater on Central Campus, where UMS and the School of Music, Theatre & Dance stage their big dance, theater and music nights.
01 / The story of this place
Make time for these
In the 1960s the university had no proper proscenium theater: Hill Auditorium was too big and the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre too small. In 1963 Eugene and Sadye Power and their son Philip stepped in with the gift that built it. The Power Center opened in 1971 with the world premiere of The Grass Harp, based on Truman Capote's novel. Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates designed it, with a mirrored glass wall that reflects the park next door and two big spiral staircases climbing from the orchestra to the balcony. Two hand-woven tapestries hang in the lobby: Roy Lichtenstein's Modern Tapestry and Pablo Picasso's Volutes.
- Open since 1971
- 1,313 seats, 455 of them in the balcony
- No seat is more than 72 feet from the stage
- Lichtenstein and Picasso tapestries in the lobby
- No elevator to the balcony
A closer look
Photos were taken at different times; images are resized and cropped on cards.
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¼ · Stay
Sleep right around the corner
Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-10-23
An independently written bilingual guide. This collection is not an attendance-based ranking.
- UMS: Power Center (address, parking, description, accessibility) ↗
- UMS: Contact (ticket office, phone hours, venue box office lines) ↗
- UMS: Ticket Information and FAQ ↗
- UMS: Accessibility ↗
- U-M SMTD: Power Center Tech Specs (November 2024, seat counts) ↗
- Michigan Modern: Power Center for the Performing Arts (architects, glass wall) ↗
03 / Events
Events at this place
Published events automatically linked from our event guide. Times are local to the venue.
Oct 23, 2026, 7:30 PMUMS150 Dance World Premiere: The Rose Sonata
New York City Ballet principal dancer Sara Mearns joins Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber for the world premiere of a new evening-length dance work on Friday, October 23, at 7:30 p.m. at Power Center in Ann Arbor. Tickets are available online.
Oct 24, 2026, 7:30 PMUMS150 Dance World Premiere: The Rose Sonata
New York City Ballet principal dancer Sara Mearns joins co-choreographers Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber to premiere a new evening-length dance work, The Rose Sonata, on Saturday, October 24, at 7:30 p.m. at the Power Center in Ann Arbor. Tickets are available online.
Jan 29, 2027, 7:30 PMAli Chahrour: When I Saw the Sea
Ali Chahrour's new theater work When I Saw the Sea comes to the Power Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, January 29, at 7:30 p.m., presented by the University Musical Society (UMS). It's built on true stories of survival and resistance, and tickets are available online.
Jan 30, 2027, 7:30 PMAli Chahrour: When I Saw the Sea
Ali Chahrour's new theater work When I Saw the Sea comes to the Power Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, January 30, at 7:30 p.m., presented by the University Musical Society (UMS). It draws on true stories of survival and resistance under Lebanon's kafala system. Tickets are available online.
Mar 25, 2027, 7:30 PMKramer/Fauci
Director Daniel Fish reimagines the 1993 televised debate between Larry Kramer and Dr. Anthony Fauci in a University Musical Society (UMS) presentation on Thursday, March 25, at 7:30 p.m. at the Power Center in Ann Arbor. Tickets are available online.
Mar 26, 2027, 7:30 PMKramer/Fauci
Director Daniel Fish restages the 1993 televised debate between Larry Kramer and Dr. Anthony Fauci on Friday, March 26, at 7:30 p.m. at the Power Center in Ann Arbor. It's presented by the University Musical Society (UMS), with tickets available online.
Mar 27, 2027, 7:30 PMKramer/Fauci
Director Daniel Fish reimagines the 1993 televised debate between Larry Kramer and Dr. Anthony Fauci, presented by the University Musical Society (UMS) on Saturday, March 27, at 7:30 p.m. at the Power Center in Ann Arbor. If you're drawn to theater about activism and public health, this one's for you. Tickets are available online.
Apr 2, 2027, 7:30 PMNew Works by Lucinda Childs / Gibney Company
Gibney Company performs a new work by Lucinda Childs on Friday, April 2, at 7:30 p.m. at the Power Center in Ann Arbor. Presented by the University Musical Society (UMS), the piece for 10 dancers celebrates Philip Glass's 90th birthday. Tickets are available online.
Apr 3, 2027, 7:30 PMNew Works by Lucinda Childs / Gibney Company
Choreographer Lucinda Childs, a founding member of Judson Dance Theater, presents a new work for 10 dancers with Gibney Company on Saturday, April 3, at 7:30 p.m. at the Power Center in Ann Arbor. UMS presents the night as a celebration of Philip Glass's 90th birthday. Tickets are available online.
Apr 30, 2027, 7:30 PMThe Butterfly Who Flew Into the Rave
University Musical Society (UMS) presents a three-day rave condensed into a single hour on Friday, April 30, at 7:30 p.m. at the Power Center in Ann Arbor. Tickets are available online.
May 1, 2027, 7:30 PMThe Butterfly Who Flew Into the Rave
University Musical Society (UMS) presents The Butterfly Who Flew Into the Rave on Saturday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the Power Center in Ann Arbor. It's a three-day rave squeezed into one hour. Tickets are available online.
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