Carnegie Hall
You’ve all heard the joke, right? A pedestrian on 57th Street stopped Jascha Heifetz and inquired, "Could you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?" "Yes," said Heifetz. "Practice!"
Believe it or not, despite visiting New York City dozens of times, we had never been to Carnegie Hall. When I learned that Broadway icon Bernadette Peters would be performing there - for the first time in 30 years - I knew it would be the perfect way to experience this legendary concert hall for the first time.
We arrived early and spent some time viewing the artifacts in the Rose Museum. Over the years, Carnegie Hall has hosted more than 45,000 events on its three stages. Every one who is anyone has performed there; the illustrious list includes Gustav Mahler, Arturo Toscanini, Sergei Rachmaninoff, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Leonard Bernstein, Isaac Stern, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, and Bruce Springsteen. It’s not the largest concert venue in the world, but it may be the most famous.
Bernadette Peters’ show was in the largest performance hall, the Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage. There were five levels of seating, and we were seated in the highest one - the balcony. I was disappointed that the view from our “nosebleed” seats was obstructed, but fortunately Ms. Peters was center stage for most of the performance. We also had an excellent view of the stage door and her encore.
The program featured plenty of Sondheim, of course, with a surprise performance of “You Gotta Get a Gimmick” with Gypsy co-stars Heather Lee and Julie Halston. At age 76, she’s still got it! She vamped on the grand piano with “Fever” and belted an over-the-top rendition of “Nothing Like a Dame.” For her final encore, she wrapped herself in a blanket and sat on the edge of the stage, with a wistful “Anyone Can Whistle.” She was fabulous!
Fun Facts
Carnegie Hall opened in 1891 with an orchestral concert conducted by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
It was nearly demolished in the 1950s when the city decided to build Lincoln Center.
Studio Towers above Carnegie Hall had 170 apartments for artists and creatives. Famous tenants included Isadora Duncan, Leonard Bernstein, and Marlon Brando. The last residents were evicted in 2010.
In 1970 the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performed Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 at Carnegie Hall and received the longest ovation ever recorded. According to one eyewitness, “It was an amazing, now legendary concert, with superhuman playing. The audience went totally nuts, like at a major sporting event. The whistling, hooting, hollering, stamping and applauding went on for 35 minutes.” - source
