Susan Froemke's Doc. THE OPERA HOUSE is Historic, Glorious; a Miraculous Merging of Minds of Genius

The endlessly fascinating doc. on the development/building of Lincoln Center which began over 50 years ago is must see viewing for all New Yorkers & anyone with a love for the arts.  Dir. Susan Froemke (b Amer 1947) an Acad. Award Nom. for Best Doc. "LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton) is sure to have gotten another Nom. for this in depth, behind the scenes look at how it all came to be.  The film is exceptionally well constructed compiled of archive footage, stills, personal histories & current interviews spanning from the 1950s & 1960s to the present.  It's miraculous the combination of so many geniuses & powerhouses who co-operated, compromised, created & who wrangled the land, the funding, the architectural designs and assemblage of artists.   Lincoln Center is renown as an iconic, world class haven of opera, ballet, symphony & public space.   Assuming it has always graced this space is simply "Ignorant" and grasping all the moving parts an omnipotent achievements whose is too absorbing & important not to grasp.  The major players who accomplished this astonishing feat  all possessed amazing abilities and were relentless in making Lincoln Center with The Opera House, "Geffen (gag) Hall" and "Koch (choke) Theater, Playhouse & Library for the Arts a reality.  Rudolf Bing, the Gen. Mgr., Robert Moses, legendary urban planner, leading architects Wallace Harrison an Phillip Johnson and businessman, major fund raiser John D. Rockefeller.  The original opera house on Broadway & 39th had outgrown its obsolete space.  The footage of the former (now demolished) Opera House was a nostalgic look back in time.  At the final performance, the conductor turned to the audience & beseeched them not to allow the building to be abandoned.  The fat lady had much more to say, to consider, plan & provide for the city and the world.  Diva Leontyne Price is priceless in her prescient interviews along with the footage of her life, rehearsals & performances.   The  1st production held at the opening in Sept. 1966 Ms Price sang the lead.  Murphy's law locked Leontyne in the crypt on the set, the turntable on stage broke & the musical scores were being rewritten to the last moment.  Pres. Johnson & 1st Lady "Ladybird" brought tears of joy to everyone by inviting Ms. Price's parents into their box.  The interviews of the ticket mgr. & house mgr. who've been affiliated with the Opera House since its original incarnation to the present were also interviewed.  They garnered great insight & emotional highlights.  How all the parts came together is astonishing & incredible.  (It's sad to realize an entire neighborhood was forced to evacuate to pave the way).  But Lincoln Center and its remarkable history & foothold for the arts is cause for endless celebration.  Bravo!