Home >
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts....
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts....
Item # 720311
September 09, 1971
THE SPRINGFIELD UNION, Mass., Sept. 9, 1971
* John F. Kennedy Center of Performing Arts
* Along the Potomac River - Washington D.C.
* Opening gala opening night - Leonard Bernstein
The front page has a four column photo with heading: "JFK Center Opening 'Thrills' Mrs. Kennedy"
Complete with 56 pages, a little spine wear, nice condition.
AI notes: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts officially opened its doors on September 8, 1971, with a groundbreaking premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass: A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers, commissioned by Jacqueline Kennedy as a tribute to her late husband. The opening night was not only a cultural milestone but also a deeply symbolic event, blending artistic innovation with national remembrance. Bernstein’s Mass was an ambitious and provocative composition that defied traditional genres, incorporating elements of classical music, Broadway, rock, and liturgical themes to reflect the social tensions and spiritual uncertainties of the time. Attended by a distinguished audience including political leaders, artists, and dignitaries, the performance set the tone for the Kennedy Center’s mission as a “living memorial” to President Kennedy—celebrating the arts as central to American identity and democratic values. The building itself, designed by architect Edward Durell Stone, stood as a modernist monument on the banks of the Potomac River, symbolizing both national pride and cultural aspiration.
Category: The 20th Century
Available Now
$62.00
