You won’t find any phantoms lurking in rafters here—unless, of course, he happens to be in town on tour!
The Opera House is the second-largest theater at the KC, with 2,362 seats. It was designed for ballet, opera, and musical theater. Over the years, the Opera House has welcomed dozens of the world's great dance and opera companies and has hosted some of the most important artistic events of the last quarter century.
With its distinctive red and gold chandelier, a gift from Austria, the Opera House makes an elegant setting for the annual Kennedy Center Honors, the nation's highest award for lifetime achievement in the arts.
The recipients to be honored at this year’s 39th annual national celebration of the arts are: Argentine pianist Martha Argerich, rock band the Eagles, screen and stage actor Al Pacino, gospel and blues singer Mavis Staples, and musician James Taylor.
Check Your Movements. Read your program to find out whether the concert’s music will have multiple movements (parts). (Concertos usually have three, and sonatas have three or four.)
During the Concert
Ready to start tapping your toes to the beat? Here’s what to keep in mind once the show begins…
Place Settings. Most orchestras are arranged in a fan-shape. The strings are always in the front, sitting in successive rows, with first and second violins on the left. Then sit the violas, cellos, with double basses (usually) on the right. Deeper in the back are the woodwinds (flutes, clarinets, oboes, English horns, bassoons, and contra-bassoons) and the brasses (French horns, trumpets, trombones, and tuba). The percussion instruments (timpani, side and bass drums, and cymbals) are located in the rear.
Tune Up. After the orchestra is seated, the first violinist, or “concertmaster,” bows to applause, and takes his/her seat. This person then asks the principal oboist to sound an “A” to which the entire orchestra tunes. Once tuned, the conductor and/or soloist walks onstage and the audience applauds.
Think Before You Clap. In orchestra performances, you should clap when the conductor appears onstage and at the end of each musical number, not after each movement. But be careful.
Sometimes it sounds like a piece is over, but it’s really just the silence between movements.
Hint: Check out the conductor; he or she will lower their hands at the end of a piece. Or, follow along in your program to see how the music is listed. Better yet, wait and follow the crowd when to clap.
Let’s practice. Say you’re listening to a piano soloist performing Beethoven’s Piano Sonata Number 14, the “Moonlight Sonata.”
You’ll hear:
The slow first movement
(Silence. Don’t clap.)
The faster second movement
(Silence. Don’t clap.)
The incredibly fast third movement
(Clap here!)
Another clapping clue: When it’s time to applaud, the conductor might step down from the podium and bow. He or she may direct soloists to the front of the stage so that they can receive special recognition and applause as well.
Orchestra members might tap their stands instead of clapping.
Stand in Support. If you love a performance, you can rise when you clap, and give the orchestra a standing ovation. And don’t be surprised if the audience yells out “Bravo” or “Brava” for a job “well done.”
There’s More? Sometimes, if the audience shows enough enthusiasm at the end of the concert, the orchestra will perform an encore. This means they will perform a musical number that’s not on the program—but it has to be one that they’ve rehearsed, so don’t yell out any requests!
Jazz Concerts
But wait! That’s not all!
Jazz concerts are sometimes different from symphonic and orchestral, and are usually more casual. The big difference you should keep in what to do during the show.
Clap-Happy. You’ll probably find that jazz audiences clap or even call out their support for the musicians quite often. Feel free to clap at the end of instrumental solos, songs, sets, and performances. (“Sets” are groups of musical numbers; the band may take a momentary break between individual pieces and longer breaks between sets.) While the audience at a jazz concert is far less formal than at a classical music performance, you still need to be respectful of the musicians and other audience members.
The largest performance space in the Kennedy Center seats 2,465 people. Originally opened in 1971, this state-of-the-art facility, features a high-tech acoustical canopy, a variety of seating sections (onstage boxes, chorister seats, and parterre seats), and seven famous Hadeland crystal chandeliers, a gift from Norway. Last but not least, behind the stage is you will see the organ, a generous gift by Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein, given on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Kennedy Center and the 80th anniversary of the NSO.
Get a 360 degree view of the KC Concert Hall.
The Rubenstein Family Organ in the Concert Hall
Created by Casavant Freres of St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, the Rubenstein Family Organ has enough scale and heft to meet the orchestral demands for which the instrument is most needed—for those frequencies so slow they are just felt, and the sparkling brilliance the organ can offer above the frequencies the NSO can produce.
Before the curtain rises, here’s what you need to know…
Wish Them Well. Did you hear anyone say, “Break a leg!” to an actor? Though it doesn’t sound nice, it is. To an actor, “break a leg” means “good luck.”
Peer into the Pit. If the show has live music, it probably has a pit—that hole below the stage where the musicians sit. Before the show starts, go take a peek at it.
Musicals: Know the Score. Many people read plays before seeing them performed. To prepare for a musical, though, it’s more common to listen to the show’s soundtrack. The songs will give you a sense of the plot and mood of the performance. Plus, you’ll be able to sing along during the show (in your head, never out loud)!
During the Show
Once the lights dim and the show is underway, remember to…
Listen Right Away. At the start of a musical, the lights will dim, and you might hear live music before you see anything happening on stage. What you’re hearing is the overture, which includes little bits of all the songs you’ll hear in the show. Be sure to listen quietly—the overture is part of the show.
Don’t talk back. If characters in a play talk directly to the audience, they’re “breaking the fourth wall.”
If You’re Happy and You Know It. Theater audiences generally clap at the end of acts. An exception: In musicals, you can clap at the end of any song or dance number—or occasionally in the middle of one if a performer does something really complicated. A “showstopper” is when a performer sings or does something so well that it literally stops the show with audience applause.
Time Out. Sometimes during a musical performance there is an “11 o’clock moment.” No, that doesn’t mean everyone has to leave. It’s when something really big happens—like a song or an event or special spectacle. Usually the audience recognizes this moment with loud applause.
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PHOTO by Joan Marcus
The National Touring Company of Wicked
What’s the story? Dance performances don’t usually have dialogue. If you’re seeing a full-length dance show, you might want to find out in advance whether it has a storyline. For example, some ballets are based on famous fairytales, as with Sleeping Beauty and Peter Pan. Plan on researching the story, choreographer, composer, even the dance company and dancers. The more you know, the more you will enjoy the show.
Listen up! A great way to prepare for a dance performance is to listen to the music either online or on a CD. You’ll appreciate the performance much more if you can become familiar with the music.
During the Show
Clap for Spins. In dance performances with live music, clap when the conductor first appears. In any performance, you can also clap after dances and after impressive dance moves, like fast pirouettes (spins).
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PHOTO by Ayodele Casel
WHY YOU FOLLOW with Arcell Cabaug and Coral Dolphin of Evidence Dance Company.
BEGIN YOUR VIRTUAL TOUR HERE
Make your way through all of the different, historic spaces at the KC.
AND BE SURE NOT TO MISS THESE!
Bust
From the steps of the Opera House one has a commanding view of the Grand Foyer including the eight-foot bronze bust of President John F. Kennedy. The 3000 pound bust, designed and created by American sculptor Robert Berks, reminds us that the nation’s premiere performing arts center also stands as a living memorial to our 35th president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
Concert Hall
Eisenhower Theater
Family Theater
Hall of States and Hall of Nations
Immediately inside of the first set of plaza doors to the Kennedy Center, is the Hall of States, the main feature of which is a collection of flags from all 50 states, the 5 U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. The flags are hung in the order in which their respective states entered the Union. They begin with Delaware, which is located in the right corner as you are facing the street entrance to the Hall.
Parallel to the Hall of States, accessible through the second set of plaza doors to the Kennedy Center, is the Hall of Nations. In this hall hang the flags of every country with which the U.S. has diplomatic relations. When a country changes its name, a 60-foot scaffold is erected in order to rearrange the flags. The flags are displayed in alphabetical order.
Going to an art gallery? Here’s what you need to know before your trip…
Dress up. You can leave the evening gown at home, but do try to look nice.
Bring warmth. Even if it’s toasty outside, bring a sweater or jacket. Galleries can be cold. It’ll be hard to concentrate on the exhibit if you’re shivering.
Bring your tickets. For obvious reasons. (If you’re going to a free exhibit or museum, you probably don’t need tickets.)
Bring money. For prints, postcards, or other art souvenirs.
Turn off your cell phone. And anything else electronic that could cause a ruckus.
Plan. What will you do if you get separated from your group? Agree on a meeting place and make sure everyone knows what it is.
Do your homework. You may want to research the museum and exhibit before the trip. Read up on the artist(s) and work(s) you’ll be viewing. The more you know, the better prepared you’ll be to enjoy your experience.
At the Gallery
You’ve arrived! Now what?
Map it. Grab a map at the entrance. Plan out which exhibits you’d like to visit.
No pictures, please. Don’t take photos unless you have been told that it’s okay to do so. Check it out online when you get home.
Talk quietly, walk calmly. In other words, don’t yell or run. Be especially quiet near visitors taking guided tours or listening to audio tours on headsets.
Read the signs. Big signs often provide background information about the exhibit you’re seeing. Small ID cards are displayed next to individual pieces of art; they include artists’ names, nationalities, and birth and death years; artwork titles; the year the piece was created; and the materials used to create the artwork. For example:
Teachy McTeacherson
American, 1982-
Happy Students Buying Teacher Appreciation Gifts during a Gallery Trip, 2010
Mechanical pencil on canvas
There’s no need to read every placard, but take a look at the notes for the works that catch your eye.
Steer clear. If a visitor is looking at artwork, try not to cut in front of that person and block his or her view. Galleries and museums can get awfully crowded, especially in front of famous works of art. Be patient. It will be worth the wait.
Say hello. To museum docents, who provide information about exhibits to visitors. Also say hello to guards, who often stand in or near a room to make sure that nothing happens to the artwork. Did you know that any one piece of artwork can be worth millions of dollars? The guards aren’t just here for show—they have the serious job of protecting valuable art from any mishaps.
Don’t munch. In most galleries, no food, gum, or beverages are allowed outside of the cafeteria (if there is one). If you’re thirsty, you can often find water fountains near the bathrooms.
No touching. That means pictures or anything else on display. That also includes sculptures, which are not jungle gyms, even if they’re outside.
Relax. If you see a bench, you can sit. Give up your spot more quickly if other gallery guests look tired and need a seat. Exception: Do not sit on the bench if it is roped off or behind a sign that says, “Ancient Bench.”
Catch a screening. Often, museums feature a video about a special artist or subject on exhibit. Take a time-out. Have a seat and catch the video. You’ll learn a lot of interesting information. (Yes, even without popcorn.)
