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Giant scissors snipped a rose-red ribbon as the Rose Wagner Center for Performing Arts opened to a standing-room-only audience of about 200 Jan. 29.

I.J. ``Izzi'' Wagner, speaking after Salt Lake County Commissioner Brent Overson, chairman and president of the Performing Arts Coalition board of trustees Jack Mark, and Salt Lake City Mayor Deedee Corradini, drew laughs when he rumpled and tossed page after page of his prepared speech.

``What is there to say after the politicians have been here?'' he joked, adding that the center is one point on which ``the mayor, the city and the county agree, which doesn't happen every day.''

The guest list was a Who's Who of Utah artists and arts supporters.

Repertory Dance Theater artistic director Linda C. Smith chatted with choreographer Lynne Wimmer and actor Anne Cullimore Decker after the ribbon cutting and performances. Shar and Dave Quinney were among early-arriving guests, as were Irene and Fred Tannenbaum, Bruce and Lynn Cohne and Nancy Pace.

Linda and Vic Lund and Joan and Max Smith congratulated Wagner with Ann Pearce, Carolyn Abravanel, former Salt Lake County Commissioner Jim Bradley, Edna and Grant Schettler, Jane Edwards and Nancy Borgenicht. Director/general manager of Salt Lake County Performing Arts Facilities Marian Iwasaki (the Capitol Theatre, Abravanel Hall and ``The Rose'') savored the opening with Carol and Guy Kroesche, Frank and Betty Yanowitz and J.C. and Gail McNeil.

Among the celebrators: Marcia Price, Bob Farrington, Tina Misaka, Scott Hansen, Ivan Weber, Utah Film Commission boss Leigh von der Esch, Anne Stewart Mark, Kathie Miller, Andrea Barnes, Nedra and Kent Chard, Stephen Brown, Pam Hodge and Sands and Penny Brooke.

Judy Magid/The Salt Lake Tribune I.J. ``Izzi'' Wagner has a hug for Kim Adamson, left, and her daughter Anne Adamson.