Lincoln Center's Passport for the Arts

And a ball at the Metropolitan Opera

We literally had a ball seeing the perfect final dress rehearsal for Cinderella at the Metropolitan Opera during the holiday season as part of the Passport to the Arts program. Words like magical, grandeur and fairytale come to mind for this performance at Lincoln Center, and the best part is that it was all for free. Yes! The Passport to the Arts from Lincoln Center was created in 1989 on the premise that performing arts are not for the privileged few but for the many. It provides access to classes, performances, and custom-designed experiences for children, teens, and adults with disabilities and their families built on the principles of accessibility, inclusivity, affordability in a welcoming spirit.

Annie had been wanting to visit Lincoln Center for a couple of years now and considering the pandemic, we couldn’t go in person for a while and were unable to get tickets for the Restart Stages summer program. Therefore, as soon as I saw the announcement on their social media to sign up for the 2021 Fall Session, I did. I opted for us to attend Cinderella via Zoom and was then later given the option to attend the final dress rehearsal of Cinderella in person.

During the program’s season you can expect to choose from variety of options from the American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the New York Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera Guild, The Metropolitan Opera, CO/LAB Theater Group, Lincoln Center Theater, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Currently a majority of the programs are held via Zoom with a select few in person events which is subject to change depending on safety guidelines during the pandemic. Families can opt to attend dance, music or drama classes, watch exclusive performances (as in our case), and check out plenty of behind-the-scenes content.

The Metropolitan Opera House is as opulent as depicted and even more so in person. Its cool travertine exterior is balanced with the richness of its prominent ruby red interior, massive Marc Chagall murals, golden details and many sparkling Austrian crystal chandeliers. This post wouldn’t be honest if I didn't reveal a couple of questions I had prior to attending which were “Is the Metropolitan Opera affordable and What is the Dress Code for fitting in?” Since Passports for the Arts is a free program the answer to the first question is ‘YES’ and the answer to the other is "Go as dressed up or as casual as you’re comfortable with".

Interested for more the Lincoln Center ? Check out this editorial piece “The Accessible Guide to Lincoln Center” I wrote for NYC Tourism + Conventions.

Access at Passport for the Arts Virtual Cinderella:
- A few days before our virtual program we received information with technical info on Zoom. We also got a visual schedule with plenty of easy to read instructions and photos of what to expect.
- We were welcomed to bring art materials and encouraged to wear or bring a costume.
- CART was available to provide live captioning as well as ASL interpretation.
- The program was at a pace where it was somewhat easy for Annie to contribute or for her to tell me what to relay.
- We thought the staff and event were entertaining, welcoming and inclusive.

Access at Lincoln Center in-person Cinderella:
- Prior to our visit we received an email with a written synopsis, an illustrated visual synopsis, a visual schedule with plenty of easy to read instructions of what to expect on the day of our visit.
- It was easy to get from the street entrance at Columbus and 63rd via a ramp and lovely to stop for a photo at the famed waterfall at the Josie Robinson Plaza.
- Upon arrival you are able to pick up hardcopies of the social narrative and synopsis. Noise-reducing headphones and fidgets are available to borrow.
- Our tickets were for the Dress Circle Level, which was easy to access by an accessible pathway from entry to the elevator to our seats. The wheelchair spot was in the back of this area.
- The accessible restroom on the Dress Circle Level is tight for a caretaker and a wheelchair user but was doable in our case.
- Click here to read about Accessibility at Metropolitan Opera directly from their site. https://www.metopera.org/visit/accessibility/
- Staff available that day to welcome visitors were all friendly and some were proactive in approaching us in case we needed assistance.

 
Dining: There are many dining options on campus which you can check out here. Note we've only eaten from the food trucks on and around the campus so no we have no restaurant reviews to offer.

Transportation: Public buses M5, M7, M10, M11, M66, M104 stops here.

Contact:
Accessibility at Lincoln Center (212) 875-5375 or email Access@LincolnCenter.org
165 West 65th Street, New York, NY 10023

Important: Information is subject to change, please visit https://lincolncenter.org/ for the most up to date details.
Oct 2024