Arts center to open on historic site

BETHEL, N.Y. (AP) -- A performing arts and music center on the original Woodstock concert site will open July 1 with a performance by the New York Philharmonic.
The Bethel Woods Center for the Arts also announced it will host a two-day Woodstock anniversary concert the weekend of Aug. 12-13. No artists have been lined up for that show.
The 4,800-seat summer pavilion is up the hill from the stage that drew some 400,000 fans in August 1969 to listen to the likes of The Who and Janis Joplin. In the '90s, portions of the old farm 80 miles northwest of New York City were bought by local millionaire Alan Gerry, who created a not-for-profit foundation to operate a performance site.
The first-night performance by the New York Philharmonic will feature pianist Lang Lang and soprano Audra McDonald and be led by conductor Bramwell Tovey. There also will be a jazz festival July 22-23.
While the original Woodstock artists were mostly rockers, Bethel Woods hopes to attract a diverse audience to this rural corner by featuring everything from classical to rock. A gallery and interpretive center are due to open next year.
"It is my fondest hope that this performing arts center will recapture the magic of this historic site and make our region one of the country's top performing arts destinations," said Gerry, chairman of the Gerry Foundation.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.