Upcoming Events

12/15	New York City Ballet: Romeo + Juliet
Ongoing	New York City Ballet: Then and There
Starts 5/29	New York City Ballet: Here and Now
Ongoing	New York City Ballet: Definitive Chopin

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Profile

Ballet dancers and opera singers have called the New York State Theater's stage their own since it opened on April 23, 1964. Home to New York City Ballet and New York City Opera, the classically influenced, rectangular structure sits on the southeast corner of Lincoln Center for the Performing Art's airy Fountain Plaza. It comprises one of the three principal venues—the others being the Metropolitan Opera House and Avery Fisher Hall. Designed by architect Philip Johnson, the thin vertical travertine columns and glass facade create a skeleton-like edifice that allows attendees to see into the four-story Promenade lobby that is outfitted with modern art, like Jasper John’s painting Numbers. Inside the theater, up to 2,755 attendees line up for performances such as George Ballanchine’s perennial The Nutcracker and Puccini’s Madame Butterfly Overhead, above five levels of balconies, a spherical chandelier—that looks more like a planet stricken with glowing mumps than a light—is suspended from the gold-paneled ceiling. To improve sound quality, a massive five million dollar, state-of-the-art acoustical reconstruction was completed in the summer of 1982, affording patrons a better, if still less-than-perfect, experience once the gold curtains part. — Aaron Rasmussen

For in-depth history, legends and architecture, take the Lincoln Center Tour for a one-hour exploration of the complex's three theaters. Book all tours in advance. Call 212-875-5350 for reservations.