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New York City Center, historically known as '''City Center of Music and Drama''''''Kenneth T. Jackson:''The Encyclopedia of New York City''''': The New York Historical Society; Yale University Press; 1995. P. 228., and also known as '''New York City Center 55th Street Theater''''''White, Norval & Willensky, Elliot; '' AIA Guide to New York City''''', 4th Edition; New York Chapter, American Institute of Architects; Crown Publishers/Random House. 2000. ISBN 0-8129-31069-8; ISBN 0-8129-3107-6. p.267., is a 2,750-seat concert hall located at 131 West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in Manhattan , New York City . It is one block south of Carnegie Hall . City Center is especially known as a performing home for several major dance companies as well as the ''' Encores! ''' series and most recently the Fall For Dance Festival . EARLY HISTORY Need for a new Shriner meeting place The New York City Center, built in 1923 , was designed by architecht Harry P. Knowles and the firm of Clinton & Russell , and was originally called the '''Mecca Temple''', by the ''Ancient Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine'', also known as Shriners . The Shriners had previously held their meetings at Carnegie Hall . According to Broadway lore, Carnegie Hall management was disturbed by the amount of cigar smoke generated during the Shriner's meetings and evicted them. Construction
Architecture The building's design is Neo-Moorish and features elaborate interior and exterior polychromed tile work, murals, and a recently restored Terra Cotta tiled rooftop dome. The 102 foot wide, 54 foot tall dome is covered with more than 28,000 individual tiles. The building was designed by architects Harry P. Knowles (a Master Mason ), who died before its completion, and Clinton & Russell. The auditorium and three masonic lodge rooms included four M.P. Moller pipe organs. Bond issue The pictured Bond was issued for the construction of the building. The elaborate engraving is typical of certificated bonds, in this case using the fraternal organization's logo, rather than neoclassical human figures, idealized versions of the corporation's business, or architectural elements, all common decorations on bonds. Coupons from this bond can be seen under Coupon . The bond and the coupons have no economic value today because the corporation became insolvent within a few years of the Wall Street Crash Of 1929 . Home for the performing arts In the early 1940s, the building was slated for demolition when New York City Council President Newbold Morris and Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia decided to convert the building into a home for the performing arts. On December 11th, 1943 , with publicist and future producer Jean Dalrymple in charge as the volunteer director of public relations, the "New York City Center of Music and Drama" opened its doors with a concert by the New York Philharmonic . The Star Spangled Banner was conducted that evening by none other than Mayor Laguardia. Each season, from the 1940s through the 1960s, City Center presented numerous music and theatrical events with many renowned performers appearing there. Helen Hayes , Gwen Verdon , Charlton Heston , Celeste Holm , Marcel Marceau , Bob Fosse , Tallulah Bankhead , Vincent Price , Jessica Tandy , Hume Cronyn and Uta Hagen have all graced the City Center stage. In 1966, the Robert Joffrey Ballet , became a resident dance company, even changing its company name to "City Center Joffrey Ballet." The Joffrey remained at City Center until 1982. "In its brief heyday, the Joffrey danced two six-week seasons at City Center each year."1 In 1984, the . THE PRESENT In 1994, New York City Center launched its first " Encores! Great American Musicals In Concert " productions. The popular series, which continues to this day, spawned the Broadway revivals of Chicago , Wonderful Town and The Apple Tree . Those Broadway productions were produced independently of City Center, but with many of the artists and creators of the Encores! performances. Today, New York City Center is the New York performance home to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater , American Ballet Theatre 's fall season, Paul Taylor Dance Company , Eifman Ballet of Saint Petersburg, the Martha Graham Dance Company and The New York Gilbert And Sullivan Players , to name a few. In 2000, the American Theatre Wing presented a " Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre" award to City Center for the Encores! series. In 2004, New York City Center began the annual Fall For Dance Festival which featured 30 dance companies in six performances. In 2005 , "Fall for Dance" again showcased 30 dance companies, five performing at each of the six nights of the festival. In 2006, the Festival was expanded to ten performances, with four of the six programs being repeated. SEE ALSO
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