New York City Center Tickets

American Musical concert in classic venues is not a very common offering. When you visit New York City Center, you can be sure that your time and money will have fair return. Labeled in the yesteryears as City Center of Music and Drama, the Center is a Moorish Revival concert hall situated in Manhattan, New York City which can seat more than 2,500 people, near Carnegie Hall. Architect Harry P. Knowles designed the Center along with another firm. With Neo-Moorish design, the grand structure has striking tile work both exterior and interior, while the recently refurbished dome speaks of its exquisiteness besides standing tall by 54-feet.

The New York City Center initially carried a different name being built in 1923. The Shriners who were the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, owned the place holding their meetings here. Before this, they used to hold meetings at Carnegie Hall management which refused to further accommodate them. Due to the great depression of the 1930s, the city took over the center due to inability of the Shriners to pay taxes. In the 1940s, the New York City administration decided to make the building a hub of performing arts activities. Hence, it was in December 1943 that the New York City Center of Music and Drama was inaugurated with a concert. Many talented and famous artists performed at the New York City Center, some of those being Helen Hayes, Charlton Heston, Vincent Price, Jessica Tandy etc.

Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo carried out several performances at the New York City Center, during the mid-forties, apart from New York City Opera which made the center its home for twenty years till the 1960s. As of now, the center focuses on Great American Musicals in concert productions starting in 1994. These events use the services of the artists from Encores performances. The City earned a Tony Honors for its performance in the Encores series. The Center has functioned as an educational resource by offering students and teachers the chance to understand arts in conjunction with their study courses.