Designed by internationally renowned architect Moshe Safdie, the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is set to hold its first performances tonight. Photo by Ramsey Mohsen via Flickr.

Anticipation is coming to an end in Kansas City as the $413 million Kauffman Center for Performing Arts will celebrate its grand opening this weekend with a pair of performances in its two venues, the 1,600-seat Helzberg Hall and the 1,800-seat Muriel Kauffman Theatre. The latter, along with the Center itself, is named after Muriel McBrien Kauffman, the wife of Ewing Kauffman, an entrepreneur who made an indelible mark on Kansas City and the world, including establishing America’s largest foundation to focus on entrepreneurship, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

Although tonight’s performance is sold out, you won’t need to wait until Sunday’s Open House to step into the building designed by internationally renowned architect Moshe Safdie. Avid video blogger Ramsey Mohsen, director of social media at Digital Evolution Group, teamed up with friend and co-worker Patrick Padley to give his viewers a fantastic sneak peek of the beautiful new Center.

You can find the five-minute video below and read Mohsen’s short recap on his blog, RamseyMohsen.com, “$413 million dollar Kauffman Center, here’s a private tour…” Among the many items Mohsen points out in the video is a very cool tech feature on one of the theatre’s seat backs, the Figaro Simultext Seatback System. Tune in at 03:35 to check it out.

For more coverage of the Kauffman Center’s opening, visit the special sections of the Kansas City Star, “A city in tune,” and the Kansas City Business Journal, “Ongoing coverage: Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts opens.”