Performers And The Park

It was inevitable that Central Park, conceived to give so much and ask little in return, would attract artists and arts lovers who feel the same way.

Be the superstars like Paul Simon, Diana Ross, or Barbra Streisand or one of the amateur musicians, animal handlers, or jugglers who delight passersby, they all share the urge to entertain and give back to the city, the park, and its visitors.

Information on scheduled events is provided, but if you can't catch one, don't fret: you'll be rewarded by the serendipitous, particularly on summer and autumn days. Just keep your ears peeled for the music, applause, and laughter. The Central Park Conservancy, in cooperation with other arts patrons, drives a series of free events, including the Harlem Meer Performance Festival and the Great Lawn performances by the Metropolitan Opera and New York Philharmonic. One standout is Summer Stage, which yields a cornucopia international performers.

Perhaps the brass ring of park performances is the more than four decade old Shakespeare in the Park, which wows about 80,000 New Yorkers and visitors during any given summer. Free tickets (two per person) are given out starting at 1PM for the performance that evening, but you need to line up by midmorning or earlier depending on the show. The wait is worth it, though, as casts are often studded with the likes of Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, and Kevin Kline.