Page 568 - Demo

Brooklyn Center hor the Performing Arts Ranks Fifth...And Still GrowingBY JEANNETTE WALLSIt should be understood, from the start, that the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College houses two distinct activities. One is the School of Performing Arts of Brooklyn College, a student enterprise which, although worthy, has little or nothing to do with this story. The other is a totally professional program which uses Brooklyn College facilities. Some of the greatest artists in the world come to be part of this program.The Center, or BCBC as it is affectionately known to its boosters, is today the fifth largest presenter of the performing arts in New York City. But until six years ago it was little more than a community cultural center, presenting modest programs to Flatbush residents. Then Sir Rudolph Bing, recognizing the potential behind an arts center in a somewhat culture-starved area, built on it. Working front a $6,000 grant, he began inviting the top names in the art world to perform at the College; they came%u2014and so did the public.Sir Rudolph is gone from the Center, but he left a major change in the staff and in general outlook.Today optimism abounds at BCBC, where the busy staff rushes through offices where bulletins with schedules and 8 x 10 glossies of scheduled performers serve as atmospheric wallpaper.The oldest BCBC program, the music series, has presented virtually every major soloist and classical orchestra: Beverly Sills, Leontyne Price, Marilyn Horne, Joan Sutherland, the Boston Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra have played there. As a result, BCBC reports a record-breaking subscription number of 36,000.The newly formed dance series is doing even better. In the past two years the dance series presented nine world and eight New York City premieres. Dance series subscribers total 45,000. Joel Garrick, program director, attributes the tremendous success to several factors. \businesses and industries,%u201d he said. %u201cThey%u2019re all behind us. On top of that, I feel that the performing arts are undergoing a Renaissance. More and more young people are getting interested in dance and theater so we%u2019re trying to keep up with them by offering more contemporary forms of dance, as well as keeping our traditional performers.%u201dIn addition, BCBC hosts one of the nation%u2019s only Yiddish Theaters. Now in its third year, the Theater is extremely popular, %u201cnot only because of its uniqueness,%u201d Garrick said, %u201c but because it is top quality.%u201d}3jrcjjC5|jgu]Sj%u00abDespite all the improvements, the staff isn%u2019t entirely happy about where BCBC stands. An audience poll in 1975 showed that retirees composed most of the audience. %u201c We want to keep these patrons,%u201d Garrick explained, %u201c but we%u2019re also trying to attract the interests of a new audience.%u201dBesides discounting prices for students, BCBC has brought in contemporary dancers like the Cliff Kenter Dance Company and stylized companies like the Ballet Hispanico to heighten its appeal to the younger audience.An appealing factor about BCBC is the price. Though it offers the same names as the four more popular New York institutions (in order: Lincoln Center, 92nd Street Y, Carnegie Hall and Brooklyn Academy of Music), BCBC offers programs for as little as half the price. For prices like $10 for four concerts or $25 for 12, BCBC offers top names in the music world at less than what it costs to see a movie.BCBC can offer low prices, Garrick explained, because it works hand in hand with Brooklyn College and has access to many of the College%u2019s facilities, including its two theaters. >Seating 2,500, Whitman Hall is a contemporary, newly renovated theater with a comfortable brown, gold and red color scheme as well as a beautifully engineered lighting system. The Gershwin Theater is a smaller, more personal theater, seating 500.The Center%u2019s annual $500,000 budget is met by ticket sales (60 percent), grants from the New York State Council on the Arts (10 percent) and from corporate and private funding. %u201c We have a club of friends who are out trying to drum up interest in the community,%u201d said Garrick. %u201cThey%u2019re appealing to the businesses and industries as well as trying to get more ticket subscribers.%u201d Financially, he continued, the future looks %u201cpretty good.%u201dInterestingly, Garrick doesn%u2019t curse his out-of-the-way location at the end of an 1RT subway line, far from the mainstream of the cultural flow. But Garrick says its location gives BCBC the opportunity of reaching out to a fresh audience. More than attractive M anhattanites, Garrick says he is interested in getting a stronger hold in the area. %u201c Once people know that we%u2019re here, they%u2019re usually interested in what we have to offer,%u201d Garrick said.%u201cIn popularity, we%u2019re coming up close behind BAM,%u201d Garrick said. %u201c But we don%u2019t mean to compete with them. Our present position in no way means that BCBC is trying to drive the Academy out of the scene. It merely means that of the top five performing centers in the city, two are in Brooklyn. We%u2019re just trying tostrengthen and freshen our hold here.%u201d But there is a battle, Garrick admits.* It involves, he explained, combatting what he feels to be an undeserved condescending attitude towards Flatbush. %u201cThis is a vital cultural center,%u201d he said. %u201c But all the good that we do here can be obliviated by a single concept, like the one created by %u2018The Lords of Flatbush%u2019 (a movie which delved into the ways of Flatbush gangs in the1950%u2019s). Our performances are a one-time thing and accessible to a very limited audience, in comparison with something like that kind of movie. So we%u2019re relying more on our reputation than the reputation of the area. When people discover us, they are usually pleasantly surprised. We%u2019re getting to be known, and word-of-mouth has been our best friend.%u201d ,One of the world%u2019s leading violinists. Stars of the American Ballet,February 20, 8 p.m., February 11, 3 p.m. Featuring Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins.Budapest Symphony, February 17, 8 p.m. The grandeur of a 110-piece European Orchestra.Buffalo Philharmonic, March 2, 8 p.m. A special evening featuring the music of Brooklyn%u2019s own George Gershwin; March 3, 8 p.m., Tilson Thomas conducts a classical repertory evening.Ohio Ballet, March 31, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., April 1, 3 p.m. NYC debut performances.La Traviata, April 29, 3 p.m. Eastern Opera Theater in a fully staged production complete with full chorus and symphonyorchestra.Fred Benjamin Dance Company, May 5,8 p.m,, May 6, 3 p.m. Black jazz dance company, return engagement.Ballet Hispanico of New York, May 19,8 p.m., May 20, 3 p.m. From cultural traditions of Spain, the Caribbean and Latin America.BACH TO BASICS; Classical music by one of the most renownedpianists of the day, Murray Perahia, will perform at Whitman Hall ofBCBC, Sunday, November 12, 3 p.m.B C B C : 1 9 7 8 -7 9 S e a so nTonkuenstler Orchestra of Vienna,November 5, 3 p.m. Franz Allers conducts a special all-Viennese program featuring soprano Elizabeth Hynes.Blackstone Magic Show, November 11,2 p.m. Harry Blackstone, Jr., with company of 28 (even makes an elephant disappear).Murray Perahia, November 12, 3 p.m.Brilliant pianist.Toronto Symphony, November 18,8, p.m. Canada%u2019s most popular orchestra featuring a concerto with guest pianist Arthur Ozolins.The International Afrikan-American Ballet, December 9, 8 p.m. and December 10, 3 p.m. A unique folkloric festival of dancers, musicians, acrobats, singers and stilt wa'kers perform variety of African arts.David Bar-Dian, January 13, 8 p.m.Famous Israeli pianist%u2019s first appearance at BCBC.Jeffrey II Dancers, January 19, 8 p.m.,January 20, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., January 21,3 p.m. Performances include a world premiere.Vladimir Spivokov, February 4, 3 p.m...........................................................iiiimii....mu..........in mm...........PageJ2 .THEW fOEfil X, NtWdrtrtjer 2,1978*V ; > i'Vi-1 j.'/'