New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
40 Lincoln Center PlazaNew York, NY 10023
917 275 6975
nypl.org
M, Th 10:30am-8pm; T, W, F, Sa 10:30am-6pm
Olivia, a member of the Manhattan Sideways team, was very familiar with the New York Public Library (NYPL) for the Performing Arts, having used it as a resource frequently in her work as a dramaturge for New York theaters. Even she, however, did not realize the full extent of the library’s programs and archives. Along with their general collection of plays, musical theater books, and libretti, the library has a vast treasure trove of older books on theater, recorded sounds, and film. Olivia gushed about the special collections reading room, where she had spent hours poring over the yellowing pages of old theater records.
In addition to the permanent archives, the NYPL for the Performing Arts offers various theatrical, dance, and musical events within its doors. There is also an exhibition space on the main floor, where the display changes throughout the year. During the winter months, I was thrilled to be able to take my grandchildren to the “Somebody Come and Play: 45 Years of Sesame Street” exhibit. In the early spring of 2015, when we visited, the exhibit featured the life and work of Frank Sinatra. It was very well curated, with everything from a replica of his closet to videos (complete with headsets) of his performances. Olivia was a big fan of the interactive studio that allowed visitors to play with the levels of each of the instruments in a Frank Sinatra recording, in order to realize how much emphasis Sinatra placed on sound quality and production. A few of Sinatra’s paintings were set up in a corner to look like they were works in progress – who knew that the musical master also dabbled in oils?
Access to the extraordinary recordings, texts, and photographs housed in these Lincoln Center archives is available to the public at no cost. The NYPL system makes it so that anyone can walk in and witness a rich trove of the world’s theatrical history.
