The New York City Opera is back! The company returned home last Thursday night to a newly renovated Lincoln Center stage. The opening night concert, entitled “American Voices,” marked a huge step forward for the company, who was rumored to be facing closure during the latter portion of their 2008-09 season.

The New York State Theater has long been considered second-rate. The space was built for the 1964-1965 World’s Fair as a sign of cultural participation from the State of New York. However, a reputation for having sub-par acoustics has been its long-defining feature. So lackluster in fact, that an electronic audio-enhancement system was installed. While this helped, it did not stop declining ticket sales, and a growing deficit which threatened the the New York City Opera’s livelihood in 2009.

Now, it has been renamed the David H. Koch Theater, and a $107 million renovation intended to improve the acoustics has begun. The theater now seats 2,575; two aisles have been added to give the orchestra section greater accessibility at the cost of about 200 seats. The pit has been put on mechanical lifts to allow it to reach stage level for orchestra concerts. The carpeting and seats have all been replaced, and New York Times writer Anthony Tommasini has already declared that the new features make the house “the most comfortable in New York.”

So have the renovations brought the acoustics up to the standard which New Yorkers demand? Only time will tell. I for one am very excited to visit the new home for one of my favorite companies.

City Opera Returns in Its Newly Inviting Home – NY Times

Posted on November 10th, 2009 at 1:00 pm | Filed under General |