Josh Small, general manager of the Columbia County Performing Arts Center, described the venue’s capacity, upcoming season and facilities in a recorded interview for the county’s “A to Z in CC” series.

Small said the center seats 2,062 and was built with a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system and acoustic design intended to accommodate a wide range of performances, including symphony concerts without a band shell. He said the facility also includes concessions and other public amenities.

The center is entering its fourth Broadway season. Small listed the season lineup as The Addams Family; A Christmas Story; a stage production of Clue; Tina: The Tina Turner Musical; Mrs. Doubtfire; and Six (with three performances of Six). He said the full six-show package is currently on sale and that single-show tickets will be released later.

Small emphasized the venue’s role for local arts. He said the center hosts dance recitals and community groups and named Augusta Ballet’s three annual performances — The Nutcracker, Narnia and a rotating fall production (this year, Cinderella) — as examples of recurring local usage. He also cited past headline productions and performers at the center, including To Kill a Mockingbird, Book of Mormon, comedians Matt Rife and Nate Bargatze, and a range of musical concerts.

To support operations and future events, Small said Columbia County plans a support building adjacent to the center to provide back-of-house storage and dedicated event rooms for banquets, corporate meetings and receptions. He said that, if timelines hold, the support facility would open in 2026.

Small also described Columbia County’s recent acquisition of Hardin Auditorium at the Evans Library for rental use. He said the library will continue to schedule free public events there while the county will manage rental bookings for smaller shows such as comedy acts and single-instrument performances and for groups that historically used the space.

Small listed the performing-arts center’s core staff and responsibilities: Rob Boggs, technical director; Josh Gardner, operations manager; Ann Malay, administrative staff; Katie Kason, assistant general manager (box office, marketing, food and beverage oversight); Annalise Wilson, food and beverage manager; and Olivia Chalmers, box office manager. He said the facility relies on a small core staff plus part-time workers and volunteers to stage events.

The center runs a volunteer program, started around 2022, that Small said has grown to about 150 volunteers. He did not provide a precise, consistent count of volunteers assigned to a typical event but noted the center depends on additional part-time staffing and volunteer support to run events.

For ticketing and outreach, Small said the official website is thecenterofcc.com; he recommended purchasing tickets through that site or Ticketmaster and discouraged other resale sources. He said the box office is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and the center maintains social media channels and a newsletter for presale and show announcements.

Small provided utilization and revenue figures, saying the center averaged $4,700,000 in gross ticket sales per year over the last two years, produced more than 60 ticketed events annually and saw the venue occupied roughly 150 days per year.

The segment closed with an invitation to contact the center’s main office for volunteer information, ticket purchases and additional questions.