DRAPER — For nearly 14 years, humble beginnings to a hilltop amphitheater have sat vacant on Draper's south mountain, overrun by weeds and surviving only through the efforts of a small but loyal group of community supporters.
Finally on Monday night, under a rainbow of multicolored balloons, 2,000 people crowded on top of blankets and under shade umbrellas to celebrate the official opening of the Draper City Amphitheater.
"Sometimes we say 'I don't believe in magic,' and if you don't believe, just look around," said Draper Mayor Darrell Smith between performances by the Utah Symphony.
It's been a long and involved process for both the city and theater advocacy group Magic on the Mountain. The land at 944 E. Vestry Road was donated to the city in 1996, after the South Mountain developers went bankrupt.
Left with just stone tiers carved into the grass for seating, the city struggled to budget for a 5-acre outdoor theater and surrounding trails and parks.
Ken Murdock, a local Realtor, formed Magic on the Mountain in 2003 to raise funds for the theater.
He began his opening remarks Monday with an enthusiastic "We did it!" to the cheers of the crowd. The group was able to raise $200,000 in cash and $75,000 in in-kind donations that went toward the $1.2 million amphitheater (the rest came from Draper City).
"Prices kept going up, faster than we were raising money. If the economy hadn't gone bad, we wouldn't ever have been able to afford it," he said.
Terri Purles spearheaded Magic on the Mountain with Murdock. Purles is the daughter of the late Robert Peterson, a Utah-born Broadway actor who starred alongside greats such as Richard Burton and Julie Andrews. The stage will be named after Peterson.
"William Blake said great things are done when men and mountain meet," Purles said, quoting the English poet. "The performing arts and this spectacular mountain setting have come together in one place."
Murdock stressed that the amphitheater is still not completed. Fencing, a curtain, permanent floor seating, a nature trail and lighting are all in the amphitheater's master plan. Legacy Square Pavers in the pavilion are being sold, and donations are being accepted through magiconthemountain.com.
e-mail: a stowell@desnews.com