The Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center is a UAB campus venue in Birmingham, Alabama, with four performance spaces and a program that includes music and theatre. You can plan around its ticketing options, parking arrangements and arrival guidance; the center is about 1.1 miles from a hotel in Birmingham’s Civic Center/UAB area.
- Location: 1200 10th Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35294.
- Spaces: Four halls and theatres, including a 1,300-seat concert hall.
- Box office: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; performance-day hours vary.
- Parking: Free parking is available in UAB Zone F-3 across the street from the center.
The Alys Stephens Center and its performance spaces
The Alys Stephens Center is a UAB performing arts venue with four spaces designed for concerts, theatre and other live performances.
Founded in September 1996 on the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus, it was established as a tribute to Alys Robinson Stephens. The center is home to the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and UAB’s Department of Music and Department of Theatre.
Jemison Concert Hall seats 1,300 and was designed primarily for symphonic, choral and other live music performances. The 351-seat Morris K. Sirote Theatre is a proscenium-style hall designed primarily for theatrical performances.
Reynolds-Kirschbaum Recital Hall is described as seating 164 in the center’s overview and 170 in its detailed section. Odess Theatre is a black-box theatre with flexible seating for 150.
Finding events and buying tickets
You can check the center’s event listings and buy tickets in person, by phone or online. Online and mobile tickets are available through a patron account, with mobile scanning and print-at-home options. For ticket questions, call the Box Office at 205-975-2787.
Birmingham’s Lyric Theatre is another performance venue; its Lyric Theatre Birmingham visit guide covers shows, tickets and getting there.
The Ticketing Office’s regular hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For weekday performances at the center, it is open during regular business hours, including three hours before showtime; lobby doors open one hour before showtime.
For weekend or off-site shows, the Ticketing Office opens two hours before showtime. The center advises arriving at least 30 minutes before the published start time; lobby doors generally open one hour before an event unless otherwise specified.
On-site transactions and requests for will-call, printing or mailed tickets have additional fees. For select ASC Presents performances, UAB students can buy $10 tickets, with some exclusions, by presenting a Blazer OneCard at the Box Office.
Student Rush tickets for select ASC Presents performances are free, limited to one per student and available at the box office only one hour before the show; a Blazer OneCard is required. Group sales apply to purchases of 10 or more tickets for select ASC-presented performances.
Children aged 3 or under are admitted free but need a ticket if they occupy an individual seat. If you arrive late, an usher will seat you at an appropriate time, and you may miss part of the performance; the Ticketing Office does not refund missed or partially missed performances.
How do you get to the Alys Stephens Center?
The center is on the UAB campus at 1200 10th Avenue South. If you’re driving from I-65 North, the center’s route is exit 259 at University Boulevard/8th Avenue South, then right on 13th Street South and right on 10th Avenue South.
If you’re also planning time on campus, the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus visit guide can help you plan that part of your day.
Parking, accessibility and arrival
Free parking is available in UAB Zone F-3 at 1200 11th Avenue South, behind AEIVA and directly across the street from the center. Street parking and UAB Zones F-1 and F-2 are also available. The gated lot is reserved for members at Arts Circle level and above and for corporate sponsors.
During performances and evening rentals, metered spaces between the center and UAB’s Spencer Honors House are restricted to vehicles displaying disability-access parking permits. The upper and lower circle drives can be used as disability drop-off points.
Backpacks and large bags are not permitted in the performance halls, and the center says it cannot be held responsible for damage to bags left outside the venues.
Accessible entrances and an elevator are available. All theatres have wheelchair- and scooter-accessible locations where you can remain in your mobility device or transfer to a theatre seat, and all public restrooms are wheelchair-accessible.
Assistive listening devices are available first-come, first-served; American Sign Language interpretation is scheduled for select events throughout the year. Large-print, sans-serif programs are available at performances and can be requested from an usher.
The center is part of KultureCity’s Sensory Inclusive Initiative. For assistance or an accommodation not listed here, contact the Box Office at 205-975-2787. Check the official site before you go for event details and current ticketing and arrival information.
FAQs
What kinds of performances take place at the center?
The venue spaces support symphonic, choral and other live music, as well as theatre and recital performances. The center is also home to the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and UAB’s music and theatre departments.
Can you buy Alys Stephens Center tickets online?
Yes. Tickets are available online through a patron account, with mobile scanning and print-at-home options, as well as in person or by phone.
Is parking free at the Alys Stephens Center?
Free parking is available in UAB Zone F-3 across the street from the center. Street parking and Zones F-1 and F-2 are also available.