History
The New York State Theater was built with funds from the State of New York as part of New York State's cultural participation in the 1964–1965 World's Fair. The theater was designed by architect Philip Johnson and opened on April 23, 1964. After the Fair, the State transferred ownership of the theater to the City of New York.
The City leases the theater to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc., which then has a sublease with City Center of Music and Drama, Inc. (CCMD). The present corporation of CCMD (separate and apart from New York City Center on 55th Street) continues to manage the theater today.
Along with the opera and ballet, an early tenant of the theater was the now defunct Music Theater of Lincoln Center. Richard Rodgers was its president, and during his tenure many classic Broadway musicals were revived there in the 1960s. Among them were The King and I, Carousel (with its original star, John Raitt), Annie Get Your Gun (with its original star, Ethel Merman), Show Boat, and South Pacific.
In July 2008, oil-and-gas billionaire David H. Koch pledged to provide $100 million over the next 10 years for the purpose of renovating the theater and providing for an operating and maintenance endowment. It was renamed the David H. Koch Theater at the New York City Ballet Winter gala, Tuesday, November 25, of that year. The theater is to bear his name for at least fifty years, after which it may be renamed; the Koch family retains the right of first refusal for any renaming.
Read more about this topic: David H. Koch Theater
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