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Creating the National Cultural Center
In 1958, President Eisenhower signed legislation establishing a national cultural center in Washington, D.C. For the first time, the federal government would support, and partially fund, a performing arts venue for the nation. Architect Edward Durell Stone was chosen to design the center. By the time Kennedy took office, private fundraising for the center had stalled. Kennedy asked Roger L. Stevens, a seasoned Broadway producer, to take over as chair of the center’s board, and enlisted the help of both Mrs. Eisenhower and Mrs. Kennedy as honorary co-chairwomen. On November 29, 1962, An American Pageant of the Arts launched a $30 million fundraising campaign.
After Kennedy’s death, in recognition of his commitment to the arts and his leadership in promoting the National Cultural Center, President Lyndon Johnson signed a bill renaming the center the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on January 23, 1964, designating it as the living memorial to the late president. The gala opening on September 8, 1971, presented the world premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s MASS: A Theater Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers. Shortly after, Alberto Ginastera’s opera Beatrix Cenci premiered in the Opera House, Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House was presented in the Eisenhower Theater, and Antal Dorati conducted the National Symphony Orchestra in the Concert Hall. |