WHAT: Blues, jazz and standards, familiar American classics
FREE: No tickets needed, just show up on the lawn!
New York City Opera returns in August with a performance by three-time Grammy Award-winning soprano Latonia Moore, honoring the timeless music of “The First Lady of Song”.
One of the greatest international sopranos today, Latonia Moore has sung at many of the world’s most important opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera Covent Garden, Staatsoper Berlin, and the Arena di Verona. She has pioneered performances of new operas highlighting untold African American stories and is outspoken on racial inequality and inclusivity in the arts.
In 2023, Ms. Moore opened the Metropolitan Opera as Sister Rose in Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, and reprised her role there as Billie in Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones, the first opera by a Black composer to ever be performed at the Metropolitan Opera. In the 2021/22 season, she sang Emelda Griffiths in the New York premiere of Blanchard’s Champion at the Metropolitan Opera.
Honors and awards include the Maria Callas Award from The Dallas Opera, a Richard Tucker Foundation grant, first prize in the Marseilles Competition, and first prize in the International Competition dell’Opera in Dresden. Ms. Moore is a native of Houston, Texas.
PLAN YOUR PICNIC
Bryant Park lends out hundreds of free blankets on a first come, first served basis, or bring your own cotton or fleece blanket. To protect the lawn, please do not sit on waterproof materials such as plastic tarps, yoga mats, or inflatable chairs.
Take a seat in one of the pre-set chairs on the lawn or grab a chair from the gravel. You can use a chair anywhere on the lawn except for the center lawn blanket zone.
Purchase food and drinks from tents on the east side of the lawn or bring your own picnic. Look for Stout NYC and Heaster Street Fair vendors, and be sure to visit the Bryant Park Shop, too!
Visit the Bryant Park Shop tent for exclusive Picnic Performances merchandise and more.
Find a parachute, hula hoops, and more fun on the east side of the lawn at select events.
Dogs are welcome on the gravel and bluestone, but not on the lawn.
Performances are cancelled when it is unsafe to be outdoors. In some cases, the lawn may be too wet to open but the performance may continue. Follow @bryantparknyc for day-of event updates. You can also check the lawn status on the bryantpark.org homepage.
NEW YORK CITY OPERA
New York City Opera was famously dubbed “The People's Opera” by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia at its founding in 1943. More than 70 years later, City Opera continues its historic mission to inspire audiences with innovative and theatrically compelling opera, nurture the work of promising American artists, and build new audiences through affordable ticket prices and extensive outreach and education programs.
PICNIC PERFORMANCES
Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America is a free outdoor festival that welcomes all New Yorkers to experience the city’s vibrant arts and culture. The series provides a platform for extraordinary artists and serves as a vital outdoor venue for a wide array of New York’s cultural institutions.
