Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts
2900 Campus Road, New York, NY 11210
Website - 718-951-4500
Keywords: ballet, Brooklyn Center for Performing Arts, Brooklyn Center of the Performing Arts, indoor, Opera, performing arts, symphony, Theater, Theatre
This magnificent art-deco, 2,450 seat theatre, named after Brooklyn-born poet Walt Whitman, opened in 1955 as the centerpiece for the Performing Arts Center. Some of the world's best-loved and most accomplished artists have graced the footlights on the Great Stage -- from the likes of the great classic legends such as Leontyne Price (who opened the inaugural season), Zubin Mehta, The Joffrey Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Marilyn Horne, Itzhak Perlman, Peter Martins, Luciano Pavarotti, Dame Joan Sutherland and Edward Villella, to popular headliners like Tony Bennett, Pearl Bailey, Alan King, Linda Ronstadt, Arlo Guthrie, The Beach Boys, Victor Borge, Santana....well, the list goes on and on.
Coinciding with the Center's Fiftieth Anniversary Season, in October of 2004, the theatre underwent a multi-million dollar renovation and reopened with a gala performance starring Leslie Uggams in Concert. This, after the three month refurbishment effort gave the Whitman Theatre a much needed face-lift including a new Grand Curtain, draperies, rugs and seats were removed and replaced. Additionally, the original windows were removed and enclosed while the exterior walls were adorned with stainless steel sculptures. The Grand Lobby was redesigned with architectural enhancements that include unique, rich wood canopies, mirror accents and mood lighting that incorporates a state of the art dimming system and ten different types of lighting fixtures. Monitors at both ends of the Grand Lobby allow late comers to watch the show until late seating can commence.
Today the Center has as diverse a seasonal repertoire as the multi-cultural neighborhoods it serves, bringing renowned stars to the people of Brooklyn and its surrounds, and providing an affordable alternative to the pricey, stress-laden venues in Manhattan. Great Art . . . . right in the neighborhood and at popular prices!
Through its Community Showcase program, the Center is host to a variety of community groups who, with the help of the theatre's professional production staff, are able to mount such diverse community events as variety shows, dance recitals, convocations, NYC Fire and Police Academy graduations as well as dozens of Brooklyn High School graduations -- all on the Great Stage.
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