NYC's Metropolitan Opera House opened its doors in the late 60's and has been enchanting patrons consistently ever since. It is the home of the the Big Apple's finest operatic performances, which has been in operation since 1883. The Met is located in the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts, found Broadway between 63rd and 64th streets.
Chagall Murals
The first of the Metropolitan Opera House's interesting features are the two murals created by French-Russian artist Marc Chagall that hang in the lobby of the Met.. One is named "The Triumph of Music" and the other "The Sources of Music". Both of the murals can be seen from the Lincoln Center's Plaza.
Strong Pedigree
The Metropolitan Opera House was designed by artist Wallace Kirkman Harrison. Harrison was a Massachusetts born architect and designer who has had a hand in many public projects around NYC, including Manhattan's Rockafeller Center.
Extra Stages
The Met replaced an older location on 39th St. and Broadway. An interesting fact is that the dimensions of the main stage of the older house and the new house are about the same, but the new opera house has about hextuple the area, because the designers added extra stages on the sides and in the rear of the opera house.
Short Lived Opening Act
The initial opera at the new Met was a performance of Barber's Antony and Cleopatra. The opera premiered on September 16, 1966. The performance starred Leontyne Price as Cleopatra and Justino Diaz as Mark Antony. Alas, the opera bombed, and the Met almost immediately dropped it from its repertory.
The Big Curtain
Trivial but intersting, the Met has the largest 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 Antony has logged the most performer hours at the Met. Charles Antony is a tenor that made his debut on March 6, 1954 at the old Met. Surprisingly, he's still performing at the new Met today, with over 2,000 performances.
Famous Debuts
29 operas have made their world premiere at the Met. The premieres include The Ghosts of Versailles, The Voyage, The Great Gatsby and others.
British Invasion
The Who was the first rock band to perform at the Met Around 1970. Who knew?
Weird but True True
Tenor Richard Versalle died in a performance at the Met. The tenor died on the 5th of January in 1966 during a performance of "The Makropulos Case", after singing "You can only live so long". He was on a ladder, had a heart attack, and plummeted 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 French-Russian artist Marc Chagall that hang in the lobby of the Met.. One is named "The Triumph of Music" and the other "The Sources of Music". Both of the murals can be seen from the Lincoln Center's Plaza.
Strong Pedigree
The Metropolitan Opera House was designed by artist Wallace Kirkman Harrison. Harrison was a Massachusetts born architect and designer who has had a hand in many public projects around NYC, including Manhattan's Rockafeller Center.
Extra Stages
The Met replaced an older location on 39th St. and Broadway. An interesting fact is that the dimensions of the main stage of the older house and the new house are about the same, but the new opera house has about hextuple the area, because the designers added extra stages on the sides and in the rear of the opera house.
Short Lived Opening Act
The initial opera at the new Met was a performance of Barber's Antony and Cleopatra. The opera premiered on September 16, 1966. The performance starred Leontyne Price as Cleopatra and Justino Diaz as Mark Antony. Alas, the opera bombed, and the Met almost immediately dropped it from its repertory.
The Big Curtain
Trivial but intersting, the Met has the largest 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 Antony has logged the most performer hours at the Met. Charles Antony is a tenor that made his debut on March 6, 1954 at the old Met. Surprisingly, he's still performing at the new Met today, with over 2,000 performances.
Famous Debuts
29 operas have made their world premiere at the Met. The premieres include The Ghosts of Versailles, The Voyage, The Great Gatsby and others.
British Invasion
The Who was the first rock band to perform at the Met Around 1970. Who knew?
Weird but True True
Tenor Richard Versalle died in a performance at the Met. The tenor died on the 5th of January in 1966 during a performance of "The Makropulos Case", after singing "You can only live so long". He was on a ladder, had a heart attack, and plummeted 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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