Sarah Jessica Parker, Patti LuPone et al. Celebrate NY City Center Reopening Tonight

New York City Center will reopen following a historic renovation and modernization with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and star-studded gala on tonight 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 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 NYCityCenter.org.

 

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos

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