**

The theatre is named for the late composer of The Music Man and The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Juilliard alumnus Meredith Willson, and his wife Rosemary Willson, a longtime benefactor to the school.

Mrs. Willson also provided funding for the School's first and only residence hall, which opened in 1990 and houses almost half of the student body.

The Rosemary and Meredith Willson Theater is located on the third floor of the Juilliard's new wing. It boasts more than 2,000 square feet of performance space with an additional 2,000 square feet of production support space, including "a state-of-the-art lighting grid, a permanently-installed sound system, a removable dance floor, and video project capabilities." All of Juilliard's divisions : dance, drama, and music (classical and jazz) : will present performances in the new theatre.

The Willson Theater has a maximum seating of 110 people. It is two stories in height, with audience seating on the lower level.

Juilliard's dedication will also include an announcement of the first season of presentations planned for the venue.