New York’s Top 10 : Performing Arts Venues

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  1. Carnegie Hall

    This
    historic concert hall opened in 1891 with Tchaikovsky making his U.S.
    debut on the podium. A campaign led by violinist Isaac Stern saved the
    hall from demolition after Lincoln Center
    was completed in 1969, and it entered its second century with old-world
    style intact after an extensive, lavish renovation .




    Carnegie Hall

  2. Metropolitan Opera House

    Lincoln
    Center’s most elegant performance venue shows off glorious oversize
    murals by Marc Chagall inside great arched windows. The interior boasts
    exquisite starburst chandeliers that are raised to the ceiling before
    each performance. The theater presents the American Ballet Theater and
    many traveling groups, as well as its famous opera company .




    Metropolitan Opera House

  3. Avery Fisher Hall

    Thanks
    to the generosity of benefactor Avery Fisher, the hall is now, after
    early acoustics problems, worthy of the New York Philharmonic, the
    oldest symphony orchestra in the U.S. A bust by Rodin of composer and
    former Philharmonic Music Director Gustav Mahler, on the west side of
    the building, is one of the best pieces of public sculpture in Lincoln Center.

  4. New York State Theater

    The
    stage was built in 1964 to the specification of legendary choreographer
    George Balanchine, the founder of the New York City Ballet company,
    which dances here in winter and spring. The New York City Opera Company
    is also based here, presenting laudable productions that are far more
    affordable than the neighboring Metropolitan .

  5. Alice Tully Hall

    Built
    for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center originally, the hall
    was renovated inside and out in 2009. Besides chamber and vocal
    concerts, it is used for shows by the Julliard School students and
    faculty, many of which are free to the public.

  6. City Center Theater

    The
    ornate, Moorish-style building with a dome of Spanish tiles was opened
    in 1923 as a Shriner’s Temple. Saved from developers by Mayor LaGuardia, it survived after losing its companies to Lincoln Center, and has become a major venue for touring dance companies.

    • 131 West 55th St, between 6th & 7th Aves

    • 212 581 1212

    • Admission charge


    • www.citycenter.org




    City Center Theater

  7. Joyce Theater

    A
    1941 Art Deco movie theater was converted (in 1982) to become an
    intimate home for dance. Small and medium-sized modern dance companies
    from around the world present an exciting range of work that can’t be
    seen elsewhere in Manhattan. Question-and-answer sessions with the
    artists follow some Wednesday night performances.

    • 175 8th Ave at 19th St; Joyce Soho: 155 Mercer St

    • 212 242 0800

    • Admission charge


    • www.joyce.org

  8. Radio City Music Hall

    Opened
    in 1932, the largest theater in the U.S. has an opulent, Art Deco
    interior. Once a movie palace, it now hosts musical performances and
    special events. The annual Christmas show starring the Rockettes, a
    troupe of long-legged dancers, is a New York tradition.

    • 1260 6th Ave at 50th St

    • 212 247 4777

    • Tours: 11am–3pm Mon–Sat

    • Admission charge


    • www.radiocity.com




    Radio City

  9. Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)

    This
    stately, Neo-Italianate 1908 building draws city-wide audiences for New
    York’s most avant garde program of international music, theater, and
    dance, most notably the Next Wave Festival, a fixture since 1981.

    • 30 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn

    • Subway 2, 3, 4, 5, B, Q to Atlantic Ave

    • 718 636 4100

    • Admission charge


    • www.bam.org




    Brooklyn Academy of Music

  10. Madison Square Garden

    Home
    court for New York Knicks basketball and New York Rangers hockey, the
    20,000-seat Garden is also used for rock concerts, ice shows, tennis,
    boxing, dog shows, and the circus.




    Madison Square Garden