Existing comment:
Opening of the new John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Construction of the Kennedy Center was complete by 1971. Preview performances included a gala to raise money for the Center’s specially priced ticket program and a performance of La Traviata by the New York City Opera to test the acoustics of the Opera House. The Kennedy Center officially opened on September 8, 1971 with a performance of MASS composed by Leonard Bernstein and commissioned by Mrs. Kennedy for the occasion. |