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Brooklyn Academy of Music

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Brooklyn Academy of Music
BAM
BAM Peter Jay Sharp Building (2019)
Map
Address30 Lafayette Avenue (Peter Jay Sharp)
651Fulton Street(BAM Strong)
321 Ashland Place (Fisher)
LocationBrooklyn,New York
Public transitLong Island Rail Road:Atlantic BranchatAtlantic Terminal
New York City Subway:"2" train​"3" train​"4" train​"5" train​"B" train​"D" train"N" train​"Q" train​"R" trainatAtlantic Avenue–Barclays Center
"G" trainatFulton Street
"C" trainatLafayette Avenue
TypePerforming arts center
CapacityHoward Gilman Opera House: 2,109
Harvey Theater: 874
Lepercq Space: 350
Fishman Space: 250
Total: 3,583
Construction
Built1908
Opened1908
Website
www.bam.org

TheBrooklyn Academy of Music(BAM) is a multi-arts center inBrooklyn,New York City. It hosts progressive andavant-gardeperformances, with theater, dance, music, opera, film programming across multiple nearby venues.

BAM was chartered in 1859, presented its first show in 1861, and began operations in its present location inFort Greene, Brooklyn,in 1908. The Academy is incorporated as a New York Statenot-for-profit corporation.[1]It has501(c)(3)status.[2]Gina Duncan has served as president since April 2022.[3]David Binderbecame artistic director in 2019.[4]

History[edit]

19th and early 20th centuries[edit]

On October 21, 1858, a meeting was held at thePolytechnic Instituteto measure support for establishing"a hall adapted to Musical, Literary, Scientific and other occasional purposes, of sufficient size to meet the requirements of our large population and worth in style and appearance of our city."[5]The group applied to theNew York State Legislaturefor a charter in the name of Brooklyn Academy of Music.[6]The New York Legislature passed the bill to incorporate the Brooklyn Academy of Music on February 16, 1859.[7]The group raised $60,000 by November 22 and another $90,000 by March 16, 1859.[8][9]The Brooklyn Academy of Music opened on January 15, 1861.[10]

At the inaugural address on the opening, the management announced that no dramatic performance should ever be held within its walls.[11]The first concert opened with the overture toDer Freischütz,followed by arias and excerpts from various operas, including theWilliam TellOverturewhich opened part 2 of the concert.[10]

Founded in 1861, the first BAM facility at 176–194 Montague Street inBrooklyn Heightswas conceived as the home of thePhilharmonic Society of Brooklyn.The building, designed by architectLeopold Eidlitz,housed a large theater seating 2,109, a smaller concert hall, dressing and chorus rooms, and a vast "baronial" kitchen. BAM presented amateur and professional music and theater productions, including performers such asEllen Terry,Edwin Booth,andFritz Kreisler.On her lecture tour of the United States in 1889-1890, Egyptologist and founder of theEgypt Exploration SocietyAmelia Edwardsgave her first and last lectures here, in November and March, respectively.[12]

After the building burned to the ground on November 30, 1903,[13]plans were made to relocate to a new facility in the then fashionable neighborhood ofFort Greene.The cornerstone was laid at 30 Lafayette Avenue in 1906 and a series of opening events were held in the fall of 1908 culminating in a grand gala evening featuringGeraldine FarrarandEnrico Carusoin aMetropolitan Operaproduction ofCharles Gounod'sFaust.The Met presented seasons in Brooklyn, featuring star singers such as Caruso, until 1921.

It was also used for religious services during the early 1900s.Charles Taze Russell,founder of the bible students movement (nowJehovah's WitnessesandInternational Bible Students Association), gave sermons there the first Sunday of the month from 1908 until 1912.[citation needed]

1960s–1999[edit]

The Waltann School of Creative Arts (WSCA), founded in 1959,[14]located at 1078 Park Place, Brooklyn, was a BAM venue during the 1960s and 1970s.[15]One of the dance teachers there was African American contemporary dancerCarole Johnson,[16]and theEleo Pomare Dance Companyperformed there in 1967.[17]

In 1967,Harvey Lichtensteinwas appointed executive director and during his 32 years in that role, BAM experienced a turnaround,[18]attracting audiences with new programming and establishing an endowment.[19]BAM began hosting the annual Next Wave Festival in 1983, featuring performances by international and American artists.[20][21]Humanities, education, and events for children take place throughout the year, plus first-run and repertory films and series.

TheChelsea Theater Centerwas in residence from 1967 to 1977.[citation needed]

From 1999 to 2015,Karen Brooks Hopkins[22]was president, andJoseph V. Melillowas executive producer through 2018.[23]

2000–present[edit]

A regular event as of 2012was BAMcinemaFest,[24]a festival focusing onindependent films.Katy Clark was president from 2015[25]and left the institution in 2021.[26]

People[edit]

Artists who have presented work at BAM includePhilip Glass,Trisha Brown,Peter Brook,Pina Bausch,Merce Cunningham,Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company,Laurie Anderson,Lee Breuer,ETHEL,Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan,Steve Reich,Seal,Mark Morris,Robert Wilson,Peter Sellars,BLACKstreet,Ingmar Bergman,David Van Tieghem,Michael Moschen,Twyla Tharp,Ralph Lemon,Ivo van Hove,and theMariinsky Theater,directed and conducted byValery Gergiev,among others.[citation needed]

American punk bandHolerecorded their live album MTV Unplugged at the Academy on February 14th, 1995.Alice in Chainsalso recorded their live albumUnpluggedat the Academy on April 10, 1996 at the Majestic Theater (now the Harvey Theater) forMTV Unplugged.Alanis Morissette also recorded her live albumMTV Unpluggedat the Academy on September 18, 1999.[citation needed]

Facilities[edit]

Howard Gilman Opera House

The Peter Jay Sharp Building in theFort Greene Historic Districthouses the Howard Gilman Opera House and the BAM Rose Cinemas (formerly the Carey Playhouse). It was designed by the firmHerts & Tallantin 1908, in therenaissance revivalstyle. It is a U-shaped building with an open court in the center of the lot between two theater wings above the first story. The building has a high base of graygranite,with cream colored brick trimmed interracottawith somemarbledetail above.[27]The Howard Gilman Opera House has 2,109 seats and BAM Rose Cinemas,[28]which opened in 1998, comprises four screens, and primarily shows first-run, independent and repertory films and series.[29]

Also within the Peter Jay Sharp Building is the Lepercq Space,[30]originally a ballroom and now a flexible event space which houses the BAMcafé, and the Hillman Attic Studio, a flexible rehearsal/performing space.[31]

The BAM Strong, an array of spaces, includes the 874-seat BAM Harvey Theater at 651 Fulton Street. Formerly known as the Majestic Theater, it was built in 1904 with 1,708 seats and eventually showed vaudeville and then feature films,[32]and was named in Lichtenstein's honor in 1999.[33]A renovation by architectHugh Hardyleft the interior paint faded, with often exposed masonry, giving the theater a unique feel of a "modern ruin". In April 2014, CNN named the BAM Harvey as one of the "15 of the World's Most Spectacular Theaters".[34]The complex also features a dedicated art gallery.[35]

The BAM Fisher Building,[36]opened in 2012, contains Fishman Space, a 250-seatblack box theater,and Fisher Hillman Studio, a flexible rehearsal and performance space,[37]as well as administrative offices. The BAM Hamm Archives are located off-site in Crown Heights at 1000 Dean St. and maintain the publicly accessible Levy Digital Archive.

The BAM Sharp and Fisher Buildings are located within the Brooklyn Academy of Music Historic District created by theNew York City Landmarks Preservation Commissionin 1978; the BAM Strong is not.[38][39]BAM is adjacent todowntown Brooklyn,nearAtlantic Terminal,theBarclays Centerarena, and theWilliamsburgh Savings Bank Tower(once the tallest building in Brooklyn). BAM is part of the Brooklyn Cultural District.[29]

Notable productions[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"The Brooklyn Academy of Music, Inc. DOS ID #: 282057".Entity Information.New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  2. ^"Brooklyn Academy of Music Inc. EIN: 11-2201344".Tax Exempt Organization Search.Internal Revenue Service.Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  3. ^Stevens, Matt (February 8, 2022)."BAM Taps Former Leader of Its Film Program as Its Next President".The New York Times.RetrievedJanuary 12,2023.
  4. ^Paulson, Michael(February 7, 2018)."Broadway Producer Named BAM's New Artistic Director".The New York Times.RetrievedJanuary 30,2019.
  5. ^"A Brooklyn Academy of Music".The Brooklyn Daily Eagle.October 22, 1858. p. 2.
  6. ^"Local Improvements and Rent Estate in Brooklyn".The Brooklyn Daily Eagle.November 8, 1858. p. 2.
  7. ^"New-York Legislature".The New York Times.February 11, 1859. p. 1.
  8. ^"The Brooklyn Academy of Music".Times Union(Brooklyn, New York). November 22, 1856. p. 2.
  9. ^"Items of Interest".The Evansville Daily Journal(Evansville, Indiana). March 16, 1859. p. 2.
  10. ^ab"Speech of Mr. Chittendon".The Brooklyn Daily Eagle.January 16, 1861. pp. 2–3.
  11. ^"Piety in the Parquette".The Buffalo Commercial(Buffalo, New York). January 23, 1861. p. 3.
  12. ^Muñoz, Roberta (December 28, 2017)."Amelia Edwards in America – A Quiet Revolution in Archaeological Science".Bulletin of the History of Archaeology.27(1): 7.doi:10.5334/bha-598.
  13. ^Sharon (September 5, 2011)."BAM blog: Introducing The BAM Hamm Archives".RetrievedJanuary 29,2018.
  14. ^"Waltann School of Creative Arts (Brooklyn, NY): tenth anniversary luncheon, 1969"(from theHale Woodruffcollection, 1900–1980).Amistad Research Center.RetrievedAugust 31,2022.
  15. ^"WSCA presents Allen Brown, pianist, Jane Judge, soprano".BAM Digital Archive.November 8, 1970.RetrievedAugust 31,2022.
  16. ^"Johnson, Carole (1940–)".Trove.
  17. ^"Production: The Eleo Pomare Dance Company [1967f.01828]".BAM Digital Archive.November 12, 1967.RetrievedAugust 31,2022.
  18. ^"Dance Mailbag".The New York Times.October 3, 1976.RetrievedJanuary 30,2019.
  19. ^Lee, Felicia R. (October 5, 2004)."Endowment Doubles for Brooklyn Academy".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 27,2019.
  20. ^Libbey, Peter (September 13, 2018)."How Next Wave Is It? Joseph V. Melillo Picks His Kind of Show From His Final Program".The New York Times.RetrievedJanuary 30,2019.
  21. ^Barone, Joshua (October 23, 2018)."A 100-Dance Merce Cunningham Celebration Is Coming to BAM".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 27,2019.
  22. ^Pogrebin, Robin(February 4, 2014)."President of BAM Will Leave Next Year".The New York Times.RetrievedJanuary 30,2019.
  23. ^"Joseph V. Melillo to Depart Brooklyn Academy of Music".American Theatre.May 4, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 30,2019.
  24. ^Scott, A. O.(June 19, 2012)."BAMcinemaFest, With Jonathan Caouette and Others".The New York Times.RetrievedJanuary 30,2019.
  25. ^Pogrebin, Robin(April 9, 2015)."Brooklyn Academy of Music Chooses New President".The New York Times.RetrievedJanuary 30,2019.
  26. ^Bahr, Sarah (November 10, 2020)."Brooklyn Academy of Music President to Leave Next Year".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedJanuary 12,2022.
  27. ^Kathy Howe (September 1996)."National Register of Historic Places Registration:Brooklyn Academy of Music".New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.Archived fromthe originalon October 19, 2012.RetrievedMarch 19,2011.See also:"Accompanying 17 photos".Archived fromthe originalon October 12, 2012.and"Additional documentation including floor plans and photographs".Archived fromthe originalon October 19, 2012.
  28. ^"BAM Rose Cinemas".NYC-ARTS.RetrievedJune 4,2019.
  29. ^abNewman, Andy (November 12, 1998)."More Than Just a Movie House; A Magnet for Brooklyn's Young Is in Place, but Will It Work?".The New York Times.RetrievedJanuary 30,2019.
  30. ^"New Theater Unveiled At Brooklyn Academy".The New York Times.December 15, 1973.RetrievedFebruary 27,2019.
  31. ^"BAM Hillman Attic Studio | Theater in Fort Greene, Brooklyn".Time Out New York.March 29, 2011.RetrievedFebruary 21,2019.
  32. ^Markisch, Erwin. "BAM Harvey Theater".Cinema Treasures.
  33. ^Berkvist, Robert (February 11, 2017)."Harvey Lichtenstein, Who Led Brooklyn Academy of Music's Rebirth, Dies at 87".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 27,2019.
  34. ^Tamara Hinson (April 22, 2014)."15 of the world's most spectacular theaters".CNN.RetrievedSeptember 28,2015.
  35. ^Passy, Charles (November 4, 2019)."Brooklyn Academy of Music Set to Open Art Gallery".The Wall Street Journal.RetrievedMarch 16,2020.
  36. ^Pogrebin, Robin(June 13, 2012)."BAM's Richard B. Fisher Building to Be Unveiled Thursday".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 27,2019.
  37. ^"BAM Fisher Hillman Studio".NYC-ARTS.RetrievedFebruary 21,2019.
  38. ^"Brooklyn Academy of Music Historic District Designation Report"(PDF).New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.September 26, 1978.Archived(PDF)from the original on March 26, 2013.RetrievedJuly 22,2023.
  39. ^"Brooklyn Academy of Music Historic District | HDC".hdc.org.August 15, 2018.RetrievedJanuary 28,2024.
  40. ^"Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan Bring a Rarely Seen Lorraine Hansberry Gem Back to New York".Vogue.RetrievedApril 17,2024.
  41. ^"James McAvoy Is Our Generation's Great Cyrano".Vulture.RetrievedApril 17,2024.
  42. ^"Read Reviews for BAM's Medea, Starring Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale".Playbill.RetrievedApril 17,2024.
  43. ^"Rupert Everett Fully Inhabits Oscar Wilde in The Judas Kiss".Vulture.RetrievedApril 17,2024.
  44. ^"'Richard II': Theater Review ".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedApril 17,2024.
  45. ^"King Lear, Starring Frank Langella, Arrives at Brooklyn Academy of Music Jan. 7".Playbill.RetrievedApril 25,2024.
  46. ^"Geoffrey Rush Pens The Diary of a Madman at BAM Beginning Feb. 11".Playbill.RetrievedApril 25,2024.

External links[edit]

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