New York's current Metropolitan Opera House opened its doors for the first time in 1966 and has been enchanting patrons ever since. The Met is the home of the the Big Apple's most high profile operatic performances, which has been in operation since 1883. The Met is situated in the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts, located Broadway between 63rd and 64th Streets.
Chagall Murals
The first of the Metropolitan Opera House's interesting features are the two murals created by Marc Chagall for the Metropolitan Opera House's lobby. One mural is called "The Triumph of Music" and one is called "The Sources of Music". Both murals can be seen from the Lincoln Center's Plaza.
Strong Pedigree
The Met was designed by Wallace Kirkman Harrison (1895-1981). Wallace Kirkman Harrison was a Massachusetts born architect-designer who has had a hand in many public projects around New York, including Manhattan's Rockafeller Center.
Extra Stages
As the new opera house, the Met replaced an older venue on Broadway and 39th. 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, as the designers added extra stages in the rear and to the sides of the venue.
Short Lived Opening Act
The initial opera at the new Met the opera Antony and Cleopatra by Samuel Barber. The opera premiered on September 16, 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 intersting, the Met has the biggest front curtain on earth. The front curtain is the drape that hangs behind the proscenium arch, and is made from golden damask.
Longest Performer
Charles Anthony has given the most performances at the Met. Antony is a tenor that made his debut on March 6, 1954 at the old Met. Surprisingly, the tenor is still performing at the new Met today, with over 2,000 performances.
Famous Debuts
29 operas have premiered at the Met. These premieres include The Ghosts of Versailles, The Great Gatsby, The Voyage and others.
British Invasion
The Who was the inductory rock band to perform at the Met Around 1970. Who knew?
Odd but True True
Tenor Richard Versalle died while in the middle of a performance at the Met. He died on January 5, 1996 in the middle a performance of "The Makropulos Case", after singing "You can only live so long". Versalle was on a ladder, had a cardiac arrest, and plunged to the stage in a truly dramatic performance.
Chagall Murals
The first of the Metropolitan Opera House's interesting features are the two murals created by Marc Chagall for the Metropolitan Opera House's lobby. One mural is called "The Triumph of Music" and one is called "The Sources of Music". Both murals can be seen from the Lincoln Center's Plaza.
Strong Pedigree
The Met was designed by Wallace Kirkman Harrison (1895-1981). Wallace Kirkman Harrison was a Massachusetts born architect-designer who has had a hand in many public projects around New York, including Manhattan's Rockafeller Center.
Extra Stages
As the new opera house, the Met replaced an older venue on Broadway and 39th. 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, as the designers added extra stages in the rear and to the sides of the venue.
Short Lived Opening Act
The initial opera at the new Met the opera Antony and Cleopatra by Samuel Barber. The opera premiered on September 16, 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 intersting, the Met has the biggest front curtain on earth. The front curtain is the drape that hangs behind the proscenium arch, and is made from golden damask.
Longest Performer
Charles Anthony has given the most performances at the Met. Antony is a tenor that made his debut on March 6, 1954 at the old Met. Surprisingly, the tenor is still performing at the new Met today, with over 2,000 performances.
Famous Debuts
29 operas have premiered at the Met. These premieres include The Ghosts of Versailles, The Great Gatsby, The Voyage and others.
British Invasion
The Who was the inductory rock band to perform at the Met Around 1970. Who knew?
Odd but True True
Tenor Richard Versalle died while in the middle of a performance at the Met. He died on January 5, 1996 in the middle a performance of "The Makropulos Case", after singing "You can only live so long". Versalle was on a ladder, had a cardiac arrest, and plunged to the stage in a truly dramatic performance.
About the Author:
Jeff Myers has been fascinated by all of the great events held at the Metropolitan Opera House for a number of years. He has written many articles about several topics, please look for his writing here.
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