NYC's Metropolitan Opera House opened in 1966 and has been captivating patrons ever since. It is the home of the NYC's most high profile opera, which has been in operation since 1883. The Metropolitan Opera House is situated in the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts, located Broadway between 63rd and 64th St.
Chagall Murals
The first of the Met's fascinating features are the two murals created by Marc Chagall that hang in the lobby of the Met.. One is named "The Triumph of Music" and the other "The Sources of Music". Both of the murals can be seen from the Lincoln Center's Plaza.
Strong Pedigree
The architecture of the Met was designed by Wallace Kirkman Harrison. The artist was a Massachusetts born architect-designer who worked on many public projects around New York, including Manhattan's Rockafeller Center.
Extra Stages
As the new opera house, the Met replaced an older metropolitan opera house on Broadway and 39th Street. An interesting fact is that the dimensions of the key stage of the older house and the new house are about the same, but the new opera house has about hextuple the area, because the designers added new stages in the rear and to the sides of the venue.
A Short Lived
The very first opera performance at the new Met was a performance of Samuel Barber's Antony and Cleopatra. The opera premiered on the 16th of September in 1966. The opera starred Leontyne Price as Cleopatra and Justino Diaz as Mark Antony. Alas, the opera bombed, and the Met almost immediately dropped it from its line-up.
The Big Curtain
Trivial but fun, the Met has the largest front curtain on the planet. The front curtain is the drape that hangs behind the proscenium arch, and is made out of golden damask.
Longest Performer
Charles Antony has logged the most performer hours at the Met. Charles Antony is a tenor that made his debut on March 6, 1954 at the old Met. Surprisingly, he's still performing at the new Met today, with over 2,000 performances.
Famous Debuts
29 operas have world premiered at the Met. The premieres include The Ghosts of Versailles, The Voyage, The Great Gatsby and others.
British Invasion
The Who was the inductory rock group to perform at the Met Around 1970. Who knew?
Strange but True True
Tenor Richard Versalle died in a performance at the Met. Versalle died on January 5th in 1996 during a performance of "The Makropulos Case", after singing "You can only live so long". He was on a ladder, had a cardiac arrest, and plummeted to the stage in a truly dramatic performance.
Chagall Murals
The first of the Met's fascinating features are the two murals created by Marc Chagall that hang in the lobby of the Met.. One is named "The Triumph of Music" and the other "The Sources of Music". Both of the murals can be seen from the Lincoln Center's Plaza.
Strong Pedigree
The architecture of the Met was designed by Wallace Kirkman Harrison. The artist was a Massachusetts born architect-designer who worked on many public projects around New York, including Manhattan's Rockafeller Center.
Extra Stages
As the new opera house, the Met replaced an older metropolitan opera house on Broadway and 39th Street. An interesting fact is that the dimensions of the key stage of the older house and the new house are about the same, but the new opera house has about hextuple the area, because the designers added new stages in the rear and to the sides of the venue.
A Short Lived
The very first opera performance at the new Met was a performance of Samuel Barber's Antony and Cleopatra. The opera premiered on the 16th of September in 1966. The opera starred Leontyne Price as Cleopatra and Justino Diaz as Mark Antony. Alas, the opera bombed, and the Met almost immediately dropped it from its line-up.
The Big Curtain
Trivial but fun, the Met has the largest front curtain on the planet. The front curtain is the drape that hangs behind the proscenium arch, and is made out of golden damask.
Longest Performer
Charles Antony has logged the most performer hours at the Met. Charles Antony is a tenor that made his debut on March 6, 1954 at the old Met. Surprisingly, he's still performing at the new Met today, with over 2,000 performances.
Famous Debuts
29 operas have world premiered at the Met. The premieres include The Ghosts of Versailles, The Voyage, The Great Gatsby and others.
British Invasion
The Who was the inductory rock group to perform at the Met Around 1970. Who knew?
Strange but True True
Tenor Richard Versalle died in a performance at the Met. Versalle died on January 5th in 1996 during a performance of "The Makropulos Case", after singing "You can only live so long". He was on a ladder, had a cardiac arrest, and plummeted to the stage in a truly dramatic performance.
About the Author:
Jeff Myers has had an interest in of the great events held at the Metropolitan Opera House for several years. He has written many articles about a number of topics, please look for his writing here.
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