Hilton Coliseum is not the only Iowa State Center building to have the magic. While the roar of fans at wrestling matches and basketball games is impressive, the magic at Stephens Auditorium is equally captivating.

The inaugural performance at Stephens set the precedent for shows to come. In the fall of 1969, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra was the first performance at Stephens and, since then, acts from around the world have come to share their talents at Stephens.

The building itself is a mark of excellence. In 2004, the Iowa Chapter of the American Institute of Architects named it Iowa’s “Building of the Century.”

The auditorium’s namesake comes from Clifford Y. Stephens,an Iowa State College alumnus. Stephens graduated in 1925 with a degree in dairy science. His $1 million donation was at the forefront of the fundraising efforts for the building. Stephens was also committed to the arts at Iowa State.

Stephens never saw the completion of his vision. He died in a car accident in 1963 before ground was broken for the building in 1965.

Today, the auditorium’s staff is still committed to Stephen’s mission.

“Many of us feel like we are fulfilling his vision,” Patti Cotter, performing arts coordinator at Iowa State Center. Cotter has worked at Stephens for almost 20 years.

Part of the vision for the auditorium is to connect passionate audiences with outstanding artists.

“We’ve brought those two entities together,” Cotter said.

Cotter also said Stephens Auditorium fills a need within the Ames community.

“Our mission is, in part, to fulfill the out-of-classroom experience,” Cotter said.

The types of performances given at Stephens Auditorium have changed over the years. For example, Stomp, an all-percussion performing group, has given shows at Stephens in recent years. Cotter describes the group as more “hip.”

“We try to appeal to student tastes,” Cotter said.

While Stephens Auditorium draws world-class artists, such as violinists Joshua Bell and Itzhak Perlman, there are also shows that appeal to the young and the young at heart. The School Matinee Series brings in shows geared toward children to expose them to the theater and is a popular field trip destination.

“The School Matinee Series has put us on the map with teachers,” Cotter said.

Sometimes old favorites come back to visit Stephens. “Chicago” has been performed at Stephens before, and will be making a reprise in April.

“‘Chicago,’ the musical, is a great show,” Cotter said.

The magic at Stephens wouldn’t be possible without the behind-the-scenes workers. Stephen Harder, tech director at Stephens and Fisher theaters, has worked at Stephens since 1975. Harder and his crew do what they can to make a performance go smoothly. They work to be accommodating to performers and their needs.

“We want to go the extra mile to make sure their day goes well,” Harder said.

Over the years, Harder has been a part of the backstage operations for many performances. One that sticks out in his mind is a concert by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra in the late 1980s during the Cold War.

“The Russians and the U.S. were living on opposite ends of the Cold War,” Harder said.

But geopolitical differences were set aside to allow the arts to flourish at Stephens, which was in line with the vision of the building’s name-bearer. This vision has continued to set the course for the celebration of the arts at Stephens today.