New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [110]
Also resident at the Met is American Ballet Theatre (ABT) (212/477–3030 | www.abt.org), which is renowned for its gorgeous full-program renditions of the 19th-century classics (Swan Lake, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty) with choreography reenvisioned by 20th-century masters. Since its founding in 1940, the company has nurtured the likes of Baryshnikov, Makarova, and Gregory, and 21st-century principal dancers Gillian Murphy, David Hallberg, and Herman Cornejo. ABT has two New York seasons: eight weeks of performances begin in May here at the Met, and starting with the 2010 holiday season, their Nutcracker is staged at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).
Now known as the David H. Koch Theater (Columbus Ave., at W. 62nd St. | 212/870–5570), the Philip Johnson–designed former New York State Theater opened its doors here in 1964. Although perhaps not as famous as the Met next door, here at the spruced-up Koch the New York City Opera (212/870–5570 | www.nycopera.com) is distinguished by its own vibrant personality. Founded in 1943, the company is known for its diverse repertory and its soft spot for American composers—a theme that has only been strengthened with the 2009 appointment of George Steel as artistic director.
Ever more innovative, and often rarely staged, productions (Leonard Bernstein’s A Quiet Place, Richard Strauss’s Intermezzo) provide fine vehicles for this company’s great voices, which follow in the footsteps of Placido Domingo and Beverly Sills, who began their careers here. City Opera performs October to November and March to April. Supertitles—the opera’s libretto, line-by-line—are displayed above the stage.
Sharing the Koch is the equally formidable New York City Ballet (NYCB) (212/870–5570 | www.nycballet.com), with its unmatched repertoire of 20th-century works, predominantly by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and Peter Martins. The NYCB’s 90 dancers—Jock Soto, Kyra Nichols, and Wendy Whelan have all graced this stage—are superb in the short-form programs this company has excelled in since its first performances, in 1948.
Its fall season starts in September and early October, then returns in late November through December for their beloved annual production of Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. Its winter repertory program runs in January and February, and a spring season runs from May into June.
Housed in Eero Saarinen’s finely scaled 1965 Lincoln Center Theater complex, and home to a rich tradition of plays and musicals, the 1,047-seat Vivian Beaumont and the 334-seat Mitzi E. Newhouse theaters are being joined in 2012 by the rooftop Claire Tow Theater.
With 131 seats and a small grassy terrace for attendees, this Hugh Hardy–designed add-on has been created to offer full stagings of works by the newest directors, playwrights, and designers.
The comfy 268-seat auditorium of the Walter Reade Theater (165 W. 65th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Ave. | 212/875–5600 | www.filmlinc.com) has what may be the best sight lines in town. It presents series devoted to “the best in world cinema” that run the gamut from silents (with occasional live organ accompaniment) and documentaries to retrospectives and recent releases, often on the same theme or from the same country. And here’s where to come on certain Saturdays to catch The Met: Live in HD screenings.
Tucked under the Illuminated Lawn on the main campus, across the street, the Elinor Bunin-Monroe Film Center, which opened in 2011, offers two small screening rooms (a 150-seater and a 90-seater), a café, and an archive that encourages further immersion into NYC’s film arts. (165 W. 65th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Ave. | 212/875–5610 | www.filmlinc.com)
TIP Discounted day-of-show tickets for most Lincoln Center venues may be purchased in person at the David Rubenstein Atrium (Broadway between W. 62nd and W. 63rd; www.lincolncenter.org/live/index.php/atrium),