Hammerstein Ballroom

The Hammerstein Ballroom began as an act of artistic rebellion. In 1906, cigar mogul and theater impresario Oscar Hammerstein the First built this venue, then known as the Manhattan Opera House, to directly challenge the elite Metropolitan Opera. He was determined to bring high-quality, accessible grand opera to a wider audience, and his productions proved so successful that they created a genuine financial crisis for his rivals at the Met.