Auspicious Beginnings: In the late winter of 1955, the ground-work was just about completed on an ambitious project that involved the City, the State, CUNY and Brooklyn College. They all seemed to conspire to bring to fruition a magnificent arts center to central Brooklyn at the end of the IRT line in Flatbush. The physical plant was imposing; a modified "U" shaped building that housed four performance spaces ranging from a small experimental theatre, to an impressive 2450 seat house that would become the centerpiece for a variety of performers and events that even its architects and builders could not have envisioned. It was chilly and overcast on that day in March as Mayor Wagner and a crowd of other dignitaries participated in the long anticipated ribbon cutting ceremonies; a distinct vision for the center was already forming.
The Performing Arts Center was about opening its doors, and it opened them to the young and old, families and students, from every ethnic background and economic strata. The greatness of this Center would be its accessibility -- a place where the hard-working Brooklyn Everyman would be able to experience the great artists in every discipline and at prices that were affordable. The far-reaching communities of Flatbush, Midwood, Flatlands, Carroll Gardens, Sheepshead Bay and Coney Island would be invited not only to come as an audience, but to use the Center as participants -- for their own community functions, meetings, lectures, and ceremonies -- even a wedding would one day take place on the Walt Whitman Theatre's Great Stage. And perhaps the most unique activity that would bond literally tens of thousands of Brooklynites to the Center (and what has now become a Brooklyn tradition), the hundreds upon hundreds of high school commencement ceremonies that have been held in the Whitman Theatre every June over the last four decades. Brooklyn now had a Performing Arts Center to which its people would come to feel a warm, personal connection.
Leontyne's First Time: The day after the ceremonial dedication, the Center opened with the Inaugural Premiere Concert. A young, rising star was the featured performer. Her name was Leontyne Price and she almost didn't make it to the stage door in time. It seems that the limousine driver could not find this new arts complex. She was first driven to BAM and then, of all places, to the Brooklyn Public Library. But what went askew in the drive over the Brooklyn Bridge to the middle of Brooklyn that night was more than redeemed when a packed house ranging from the black-tie folks to the blue collar workers to the students, all heard the incomparable, angelic voice of Ms. Price. She would revisit the Center many times over the next quarter century and the audiences would never tire of lavishing standing ovation after standing ovation upon her.
Over the years the performing arts center's management and organizational structure changed from time to time, but none of its directors abandoned the original vision -- making all manner of artistic excellence available to the Brooklyn community. It's very first impresario was Dean Dante Negro. For the first twenty-three years, he presided over the direction the Center would take. His tenure saw the classic repertoire flourish. Negro brought in some of the top opera, symphonic and chamber orchestras to grace the stages. He created the Great Artist/Music and the Great Artists/Dance series. One of his innovations was to commission a resident string quartet of notable stature -- The Carnegie String Quartet; it was a staple on the music program for more than 7 years, giving intimate performances in the Gershwin Theatre and music seminars on the stage at various times throughout the season.
Preserving the Tradition: Since the first Jewish immigrants landed on Ellis Island, the extraordinary story-telling tradition of that culture became legend. In the early 1900's the theatres on Second Avenue on the east side became the training ground for the dozens of Jewish comedians, musicians, and thespians with their own style of humor, music and a magical way of telling a story....and in a language all their own. Yiddish Theatre was a unique art-form and an entertainment staple -- as satisfying as matzoh-ball soup or Nova-lox-a-bagel-with-a-shmear. But by the late forties, vaudeville and the lower east side theatres were closing, moving out of the way of the new bully on the block -- television. The theatres either became movie houses or they closed their doors completely. Yiddish Theatre was on the brink of extinction. Many of its practitioners, talented and popular as they were, were able to make the transition to TV, and in fact, provided the new medium with some badly needed talent since Hollywood stars or "legitimate" theatre actors would not set foot in a TV studio. Unfortunately, although they got work in the TV studios, television was not interested in hearing any language except English.
Since the late 70's Brooklyn Center set out on a mission to preserve this exceptional art-form. The legendary, original Yiddish Theatre stars were contacted and encouraged to bring their own original skits and scripts - Molly Picon, Fyvush Finkel, Lillian Lux, Avi Hoffman, Elenor Reissa -- all were thrilled to be able to give new life to their art. The Center created the same environment that they were familiar with -- an intimate theatre space, original sets were found and restored or likenesses of the stage settings were recreated, taking care to bring back the authentic Yiddish theatre style -- charm included. The plays, musical numbers and skits were not lost on those who didn't understand Yiddish. Translations were provided and much of the dialogue was repeated in English by the actors for the non-Yiddish speaking audience. In fact, this is the way traditional Yiddish Theatre had been performed, so as to be universally understood.
The Yiddish Theatre project became so popular that multiple weekend runs had to be added. For the Center and the artists, it became a work of love, reviving and preserving this nearly extinct art-form. For the audiences, it became the most sort-after (and most difficult to get) ticket of any series. And from the sound of the laughter and wild applause, one of the most enjoyed.
Today our L'Chiam series is the offspring of the Yiddish Theatre project. Many of the original elements are still there: the great performers, the rich ethnic components that transcend culture but speak directly to the mind and heart. And the fun!
And Talking About Fun....
It became clear in those early years that art appreciation does not happen
in a vacuum. When a subscriber in his late forties told one of the Center's staff
that he could trace his passionate love of live performance directly back to a single
orchestra concert performance that his parents brought him to see at the Whitman Theatre
when he was a child, the Center put into motion a commitment to children's programs and
quality family entertainment.
The SchoolTime series buses in school children from all over the borough, giving these impressionable youngsters a taste of the magic that is live performance. In many cases, it might be their only opportunity to have that experience, one that may truly affect them for years to come, in what they will appreciate and what they will seek out. We know the power of this exposure; how lasting an impression is made on a young audience when they are given a demonstration of modern dance by Mr. Merce Cunningham himself! They see the breath-taking beauty of the dancers doing things that defy the laws of gravity, creating exquisite grace in motion. They can hear the passion in Mr. Cunningham's voice as he explains the dedication and work and pain and joy that is involved. This kind of unique experience may not make them give-up their MTV, but surely it opens their eyes and minds to the other wonderful possibilities that lie beyond the TV screen. And Brooklyn Center has been committed to bringing as many thousands of school children into contact with this kind of enlightenment and edification as we possibly can.
FamilyTime, which has now become the FamilyFun series reaches our children from a different perspective. The series brings the live performance experience to the audience, but in the context of the entire family. Nowhere else in Brooklyn has there been so consistent a program geared to quality, family entertainment. Year in and year out the line-up of presentations is as diverse as it is top-draw. Don't know what to do with the kids? Look through our FamilyFun programs and you will find quality children's programming only a telephone call away.
Cinema Paradiso: A film series was part of that first 1955 season's programming, but at that time it relied on 16mm equipment; in 1969 professional 35mm projectors were installed in the Whitman projection booth and the Brooklyn Center Film Festival debuted. Its maiden voyage began with Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. The Whitman Theatre's cinema capabilities (a huge CinemaScope screen and high-fidelity, 6 Channel Total Surround MegaSound™) plus the quality of the presentation, caught the eye of the movie studios. They soon asked the Center to showcase sneak previews of their films weeks before they opened in Manhattan. These were shown free of charge. The studios used the openings here at a vital performing arts center with a campus of potential movie-goers in its midst, as a way of generating word-of-mouth excitement.
In 1986 the
original film program morphed into Brooklyn Center Cinema which became Brooklyn's first retrospective and alternative movie
showplace. The program was an on-going, aggressive art-house format that ran
during the summer for its first season, and then year round thereafter. One of
the most popular films was the Italian import, CINEMA PARADISO. This gem became the
"mascot," signature feature, being brought back over and over again. It
was planned to be run at least once a season, every season.
In conjunction with Brooklyn College's Film Department, Brooklyn Center Cinema's screening of the annual Student Academy Awards was an anticipated event every April. Unfortunately the cinema project was put on hiatus because of severe budget cuts in 1992. The Sneak Previews and special CinEvents, continue, now presented with the improved, newly installed DTS digital sound system.
Presidential Arts:
The intervening years have seen more great performers, dignitaries, and events than could
ever be listed here, but through it all, the ebb and flow of every manner of Brooklynite
through the theatre doors has been the unique strength of the Center -- a fact not lost on
the politicians. The former Borough President Howard Golden has been a welcomed,
staunch supporter of Brooklyn Center. Over the years he has bestowed on our efforts and varied
projects, more that 25 Presidential Awards and Citations. Now our own
Borough President Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn College graduate and an impresario in his own right, continues to
support and encourage our efforts
When Jimmy Carter was running for the presidency, he came to the Whitman Theatre to address the people of Brooklyn. Golda Meir, the then prime minister of Israel, addressed a packed Whitman Theatre via an overseas audio link and answered questions and heard opinions from some very vocal Brooklynites. In 1996, President Bill Clinton chose Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts to present his views to the people in the Gershwin Theatre. It was quite an experience listening to the Secret Service communications describing his progress along Flatbush Avenue until the motorcade entered the main gates and he walked onto the stage as the carillon rung out Hail to the Chief.
"Music
to My Ears":
As patrons walk to the entrance of any of the theatres in the
Performing Arts Center, they cannot help but notice the stately LaGuardia
Hall Bell Tower with its gold dome and spire, or hear its carillon bells
striking the Westminster hour melodies. This edifice, which overlooks the
Performing Arts complex and dominates the entire Brooklyn College campus, has
come to symbolize everything that is inspiring and noble at our community.
It is appropriate that the late President Robert L. Hess, who was an avid
carillon aficionado, asked the technicians at the Performing Arts Center to
discover the mystery behind why one day in the early 60's the carillon mechanism
stopped sounding the bells for no apparent reason. But the technicians
went to work and did coax it back to life; from that time on, it has been our
happy labor of love to keep the carillon playing its uplifting melodies and hour
bell strikes, insuring that this beloved tradition be carried steadfast across
each graduating class from decade to decade.
As the LaGuardia Tower is the icon for Brooklyn College, so to the sound of the carillon bells has also become a symbol of the art and music that has been a part of the Performing Arts Center here for the last 50 years. Upon hearing the melodious bells sounding for the first time again on campus, President Hess proclaimed "that is music to my ears!"
In the more than 20 years since that presidential mandate for Brooklyn Center to keep the carillon playing its tunes, the bells have only been silenced once for a short time during the rebuilding of the Library. The Center's technicians wouldn't have it any other way.
For a more detailed
history of the LaGuardia Bell Tower Carillon,
click here:
Unlikely Alliances: At the height of the Vietnam war protest, a "be-in" was organized which filled the Whitman Theatre and then overflowed into the Gershwin and the Levenson theatres. Students, protesters, teachers, 27 city police, parents and little children along with artists like Pete Seeger, Jane Fonda and Phil Oches and even some very brave executives of Dow Chemical all joined in. About 75 people crowded on the Whitman stage and put arm around shoulder as all slowly moved in a concentric circle chanting "OM;" those in their seats linked hands as they chanted....as chant became more and more intense and permeated the great hall, one could almost believe that the war could be stopped by the sheer will of the people. The result was one of the most haunting, moving sounds ever to be heard in that theatre.
The Bing Years: In 1976, Sir Rudolf Bing retired from his extraordinary career at the Met to become the Center's impresario. Under his tenure, ticket prices were actually rolled back and he called upon his many friends and colleagues to put their names on the Center's line-up of performers -- this included some of the most renown operatic performers and classical orchestras of the world. Manhattan observers were skeptical that a Brooklyn audience would support a classical repertoire of music and dance in the numbers needed to keep ticket prices low for such stellar artists. But Bing was adamant. He often said in defense of his goal of making great music and dance accessible to everyone, "don't underestimate the good taste of the common man or his ability to appreciate what is beautiful; don't intimidate him with black tie and tails, and he will come." And come they did. Sir Bing presided over four of the most successful seasons ever and saw the Center grow in stature and reputation as a regional arts center that artists actual sought to perform in.
The Years of the Dance:
During the late seventies and through the
mid-eighties, the Center's reputation grew nationally as one of the few
performance venues that had not become overgrown with bureaucracy. Under
the tutelage of the then Executive Director Dan Swartz who, with Artistic
Director Joel Garrick, envisioned the Center as a welcoming haven for every
variety of dance company, Brooklyn Center grew as a respected dance venue. From
the struggling, fledgling dance companies, to the renown, established giants,
the Center's Great Artists/Dance program courted the very best to perform in
front of the Whitman footlights.
The word quickly traveled afar that Brooklyn Center was decidedly "dancer friendly." Our audiences became affectionately named by dancers as those "crazy Brooklynites" because when our patrons enjoyed a performance, their applause, shouts, and occasional double-finger whistles, as well as the more traditional "bravo," were resoundingly, unequivocally enthusiastic. No dance company could find a more welcoming environment in which to perform. Add to that, a staff that, although considered small in size compared to most other venues, was one that maintained a warm, easy rapport backstage while at the same time proving themselves to be top notch professionals eager to make the dancers look their best. This seemed to be a perfect mix and it lured the "troupes" here to Brooklyn.
Dance companies as far away as the west coast (the Washington and San Francisco Ballets) began requesting to premiere their new works at the Center; east coast greats like The Joffrey, Alvin Alley, Merce Cunningham and Paul Taylor also made their way across the bridge to find out what all the talk in the dance circles was about. Budding young dance companies, who perhaps were not yet house-hold names, were thrilled to be able to bring their dance repertoire to debut in New York-by-way-of-Brooklyn. As a result, the Great Artists/Dance gained a national reputation and flourished beyond all expectations. The program debuted many of the acclaimed dance companies of the US and the world. In just three years, over 26 world premiere dance compositions were premiered and more than 43 New York premieres were performed before enthralled Brooklyn audiences. From 1981 to 1984, the acclaimed Atlanta Ballet joined Brooklyn Center as its resident dance company, premiering eight new works on the Whitman stage.
Still Tuned In: Today the Center is finding new audiences and new artistic flavors. But the vision that gave Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts the artistic energy to bring to its Brooklyn audiences the world of art and beauty at affordable prices, still empowers it today. As the diverse communities across Brooklyn grow, the Center meets the challenge to offer a wide variety of events that will give most everyone something to cheer about, from the World of Dance series to the L'Chaim and FamilyFun series; from the Broadway to the World Stages series.
In addition, the MainStage and Thesis Productions of the Brooklyn College Theatre Department and the literally hundreds of Conservatory of Music concerts ranging from classical to jazz to opera to the acclaimed Electro-Acoustic International Music Festival, all provide Brooklynites with a potpourri of eclectic events sure to stimulate, edify and entertain.
And finally the Center continues to outreach to the Brooklyn communities through out Community Showcase Project, welcoming groups large and small, and producers of the widest variety of shows, all happy to have the facilities of a first class Performing Arts Center available to them to reach their respective audiences.
And again, today the ticket prices for some of the greatest classical artists to the hottest pop entertainers are kept deliberately, shockingly low, echoing the directors of years...."never underestimate the common man; make great performances accessible to them, and they will come!
