Founded in 1861, BAM is the country’s oldest performing-arts center and supplies New York City with its edgier works of modern dance, music and theater. The complex contains a 2109-seat opera house, an 874-seat theater, the four-screen Rose Cinemas and a 250-seat theater around the corner. Its stage has showcased Mercer Cunningham retrospectives, contemporary African dance and avant-garde interpretations of Shakespeare.
From September through December, BAM hosts the Next Wave Festival, which presents an array of avant-garde works and artist talks. The on-site bar and restaurant, BAMcafé, stages free jazz, R&B and pop performances on weekends.
