$500,000 Private Donation to Transform Northwest Classen High School Auditorium into an Outstanding Performance Hall

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, DECEMBER 15, 2011 -- 1973 Northwest Classen High School (NWC) graduates Cliff and Leslie Hudson recently announced they would be donating $500,000 to fund additional improvements to the NWC auditorium.  The funds are to be used to purchase and install a first-class sound system and other amenities in the 1,413 seat auditorium, providing Oklahoma City with an intimate venue capable of hosting national concerts, Broadway productions and community performances. 

“I remember it well,” said Clifford Hudson, former chair of the Oklahoma City Public School District and one of the leaders in the revitalization of the city’s public school district through the historic MAPS for Kids initiative passed in 2001.  Hudson recalled singing in the school auditorium at his graduating class’s senior assembly, mimicking Johnny Cash and chiding Principal June Dawkins with a Cash parody entitled “A Boy Named June.” ” We hope this gift will help NWC students find the same joy as Leslie and I did in music, art and dance,” he added.

For Cliff and Leslie Hudson, now married for 31 years, NWC holds many special memories.   They recall with great fondness many of the teachers who taught them and the activities and organizations which instilled in them the importance of involvement, engagement and service.   Both passionate advocates for the urban school district and the arts, the Hudsons especially recall the emphasis placed on music and dance during their high school years.

In a joint comment, the Hudsons noted, “Northwest Classen holds a special place in our hearts.  It was a school where our admiration and appreciation for music, art and dance and performance grew to new levels.   Looking back, we both recognize the enrichment we received from our exposure to music and dance performance at Northwest.  And now we are pleased to be in a position where we can provide a gift to complement the wonderful renovations underway through MAPS for Kids to transform the auditorium into a true performance hall.   We should note that our gift would not have happened without the extensive and excellent work being done at NWC and across the district because of MAPS for Kids.  As co-chair of the MAPS for Kids initiative with my fellow NWC alumnus and former mayor Kirk Humphreys, I am very pleased with the facilities we have built and refurbished for the students of our public school district.”

“The gift will be used to engineer and install a world-class caliber acoustical and multimedia system,” reported Lynne Hardin, civic leader and NWC graduate who now represents the “Friends of Northwest Classen Foundation,” a non-profit organization established in 2006 to raise funds to support programs and projects that enhance the learning experience and campus at NWC.

“Cliff and Leslie’s generosity, creativity and devotion to the community, our high school alma mater, public education and the arts are reflected in this thoughtful gift,” Hardin said.  In honor of the gift, the Friends of Northwest Classen Foundation, in cooperation with the Oklahoma City Public School District’s Board of Education, are renaming the auditorium at NWC the Hudson Performance Hall.

“We are pleased to name the new performance hall at NWC in recognition not only of this gift but also in appreciation of the contributions both Cliff and Leslie have made to the betterment of our community the past 25 years,” Hardin said.   “The renaming of the auditorium is a testimony to their commitment to the community and their passion for music education and performance.”

“The transformative nature of this gift cannot be underestimated,” commented Kenny Phillips, accomplished sound and production designer and engineer whose resume includes working with many of the world’s leading music performers and headline productions for more than 30 years at such venues as Broadway, Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Phillips said the gift makes certain the Hudson Performance Hall will be an acoustically-exceptional venue when it opens next fall.

“The Hudson Performance Hall will be well-suited to host a wide range of musical performances. Small chamber ensembles, orchestras, bands, solo performers, multimedia events and certain types of Broadway shows will all be welcome at this first-rate, intimate venue,” Phillips said.  “The new performance hall will attract outstanding performers and productions searching for a more personal venue at which to perform.  A small center with half the capacity of the Civic Center Music Hall, the Hudson Performance Hall will undoubtedly do just that.”

Phillips continued, “Just as Cliff and Leslie discovered a passion for music and arts as students at NWC, I developed an active interest in stage design, sound and lighting as a student.   It is a personal honor for me to be part of this project.  As with all of us involved, it is a labor of love, and we are indebted to our fellow graduates, Cliff and Leslie, for their wonderful gift to make this place really special.”

Taking into account the $500,000 gift from Cliff and Leslie Hudson, the Friends of NWC Foundation intends to raise approximately $1.5 million.   A portion of the money is being raised by selling naming rights to seats and other areas in the Hudson Performance Hall.  “We are excited about the opportunity this wonderful Performance Hall gives our citizens to recapture the spirit of this community. We are fortunate to have the support of so many in the greater OKC area, including the cooperation of the Oklahoma City Public School District. Our fundraising program is underway, and we will be announcing several opportunities early next year to help us raise the additional funds,” Hardin concluded.

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