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New York City Center
Reopens Following Historic Renovation and Restoration
With
Ribbon Cutting and Gala Celebration
With
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Joshua Bell, Matthew
Broderick, Barbara Cook, Denyce Graves, Patti LuPone, Brian
Stokes Mitchell,
Donna Murphy, New York City Ballet, Sarah Jessica Parker,
Brian Williams, and more
Mayor Bloomberg to Conduct Encores!
Orchestra
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
New York City Center will reopen following a
historic renovation and modernization with a ribbon-cutting
ceremony and star-studded gala on Tuesday, October 25 at New
York City Center. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg will conduct
the Encores! Orchestra in the opening number (as a nod to
Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, who conducted the New York
Philharmonic when City Center opened as a performing
arts center in 1943).
The show, directed by Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall
with music direction by Rob Berman, will feature Alvin Ailey
American Dance Theater, Joshua Bell, Matthew Broderick,
Barbara Cook, Denyce Graves, Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes
Mitchell, Donna Murphy, New York City Ballet, Sarah Jessica
Parker and Brian Williams, plus more to be announced. The
performance will be followed by dinner at Cipriani 42
Street.
The reopening gala will kick off a celebratory season of new
and expanded programming, festivals, exhibits, a special
commission, and performances by world-class dance and
theater companies. The renovation, designed by Ennead
Architects, LLP (formerly Polshek Partnership), has
transformed the city-owned, landmark building into a
contemporary cultural center complete with modern amenities
and enhanced historic details, from the mezzanine lobby’s
painted ceiling and murals to the auditorium’s arabesque
dome. New York City Center is located on W. 55th Street,
between 6th and 7th Avenues.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at
6:30 p.m., followed by the performance at 7 p.m., and dinner
at Cipriani 42 Street
(110 E. 42nd Street) at 9 p.m.
The Gala Artistic Committee includes: Mikhail Baryshnikov,
Robert Battle, Matthew Bourne, Victoria Clark, Judith
Jamison, Peter Martins, Wynton Marsalis, Lynne Meadow,
Isabella Rossellini, Stephen Sondheim, Christopher Wheeldon,
Damian Woetzel.
The Gala Leadership Committee is Noreen and Kenneth Buckfire;
Bobbie and Lew Frankfort; Perry and Marty Granoff; Monica
and Raymond A. Lamontagne; Patricia W. and Jesse Robert
Lovejoy;
Stacey and Eric Mindich; Robin and Frederic Seegal; Nicole
Seidel; Lisa Simonsen and Ian Phillips; Stephanie and Fred
Shuman; Diane H. and Joseph S. Steinberg; Judy and Fred
Wilpon; and Lisa
and Richard Witten.
New York City Center (Arlene Shuler, President & CEO) has
played a defining role in the cultural life of the city for
nearly 70 years. It was Manhattan’s first performing arts
center, dedicated by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in 1943 with a
mission to make the best in music, theater and dance
accessible to all audiences. Today, City Center is home to
many distinguished companies, including Alvin Ailey American
Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre and Manhattan Theatre
Club; a roster of renowned national and international
visiting artists; and its own critically acclaimed and
popular programs. The Tony-honored Encores! musical theater
series has been hailed as “one of the very best reasons to
be alive in New York” and has expanded to include a new
partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center. Dance has been
integral to the theater’s mission from the start, and dance
programs, including the annual Fall for Dance Festival and a
partnership with London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre, remain
central to City Center’s identity. City Center is dedicated
to providing educational opportunities to New York City
students and teachers with programs such as Encores! In
Schools and the Young People’s Dance Series. Special
workshops cater to families, seniors and other groups, while
events such as the Fall for Dance DanceTalk series offer
learning opportunities to the general public.
Performance-only tickets start at $50 and can be purchased
at the New York City Center box office (W. 55th Street
between 6th and 7th Avenues), through CityTix at
212-581-1212, or online at
www.NYCityCenter.org
. Performance and gala tickets range from $1,500 to $5,000.
Tables for 10 guests are available for $100,000, 50,000 and
$25,000. For additional information and reservations, call
212.763.1205 or visit
www.NYCityCenter.org
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