Performance has always been central to New York City; millions of visitors flock here to see shows and hear music, and the city’s sophisticated and literate population is always looking for new entertainments. Perhaps even more important, New York is a creative center in which writers, musicians, actors, and singers are all pushed to their limits, a competitive hotbed that encourages artists to new levels of innovation. Because of this, New York has been a center for performing arts in the United States over the past century, exerting a profound influence over the international art world.
