question_text: how many theaters are in the kennedy center

text: History[edit]

text: The idea for a national cultural center dates to 1933 when First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt discussed ideas for the Emergency Relief and Civil Works Administration to create employment for unemployed actors during the Great Depression.[1] Congress held hearings in 1935 on plans to establish a Cabinet level Department of Science, Art and Literature, and to build a monumental theater and arts building on Capitol Hill near the Supreme Court building. A 1938 congressional resolution called for construction of a "public building which shall be known as the National Cultural Center" near Judiciary Square, but nothing materialized.[1]

text: The idea for a national theater resurfaced in 1950, when U.S. Representative Arthur George Klein of New York introduced a bill to authorize funds to plan and build a cultural center. The bill included provisions that the center would prohibit any discrimination of cast or audience. In 1955, the Stanford Research Institute was commissioned to select a site and provide design suggestions for the center.[2] From 1955 to 1958, Congress debated the idea amid much controversy. A bill was finally passed in Congress in the summer of 1958 and on September 4, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law the National Cultural Center Act which provided momentum for the project.[3]

text: This was the first time that the federal government helped finance a structure dedicated to the performing arts. The legislation required a portion of the costs, estimated at $10–25 million, to be raised within five years of the bill's passage.[4] Edward Durell Stone was selected as architect for the project in June 1959.[5] He presented preliminary designs to the President's Music Committee in October 1959, along with estimated costs of $50 million, double the original estimates of $25–30 million. By November 1959, estimated costs had escalated to $61 million.[6] Despite this, Stone's design was well received in editorials in The Washington Post, Washington Star, and quickly approved by the United States Commission of Fine Arts, National Capital Planning Commission, and the National Park Service.[7]

text: The National Cultural Center was renamed the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1964, following the assassination of President Kennedy.[8]

text: Fundraising[edit]

text: The National Cultural Center Board of Trustees, a group Eisenhower established January 29, 1959, led fundraising.[4] Fundraising efforts were not successful, with only $13,425 raised in the first three years.[9] President John F. Kennedy was interested in bringing culture to the nation's capital, and provided leadership and support for the project.[10] In 1961, President Kennedy asked Roger L. Stevens to help develop the National Cultural Center, and serve as chairman of the Board of Trustees. Stevens recruited First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy as Honorary Chairman of the Center, and former First Lady Mamie Eisenhower as co-chairman.[11]

text: The total cost of construction was $70 million.[8] Congress allocated $43 million for construction costs, including $23 million as an outright grant and the other $20 million in bonds.[10] Donations also comprised a significant portion of funding, including $5 million from the Ford Foundation, and approximately $500,000 from the Kennedy family.[12][13] Other major donors included J. Willard Marriott, Marjorie Merriweather Post, John D. Rockefeller III, and Robert W. Woodruff, as well as many corporate donors.[13] Foreign countries provided gifts to the Kennedy Center, including a gift of 3,700 tons of Carrara marble from Italy (worth $1.5 million) from the Italian government, which was used in the building's construction.[14]

text: Construction[edit]

text: President Lyndon B. Johnson dug the ceremonial first-shovel of earth at the groundbreaking for the Kennedy Center December 2, 1964.[15] However, debate continued for another year over the Foggy Bottom site, with some advocating for another location on Pennsylvania Avenue.[12] Excavation of the site got underway on December 11, 1965, and the site was cleared by January 1967.[16]

text: The first performance was September 5, 1971, with 2,200 members of the general public in attendance to see a premiere of Leonard Bernstein's Mass in the Opera House,[8] while the Center's official opening took place September 8, 1971, with a formal gala and premiere performance of the Bernstein Mass.[17] The Concert Hall was inaugurated September 9, 1971, with a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antal Doráti.[17] Alberto Ginastera's opera, Beatrix Cenci premiered at the Kennedy Center Opera House September 10, 1971. The Eisenhower Theater was inaugurated October 18, 1971, with a performance of A Doll's House starring Claire Bloom.[18]

text: Architecture[edit]

text: Architect Edward Durell Stone designed the Kennedy Center.[19] Overall, the building is 100 feet (30 m) high, 630 feet (190 m) long, and 300 feet (91 m) wide. The Kennedy Center features a 630-foot-long (190 m), 63-foot-high (19 m) grand foyer, with 16 hand-blown Orrefors crystal chandeliers (a gift from Sweden) and red carpeting. The Hall of States and the Hall of Nations are both 250-foot-long (76 m), 63-foot-high (19 m) corridors. The building has drawn criticism about its location (far away from Washington Metro stops), and for its scale and form,[19] although it has also drawn praise for its acoustics, and its terrace overlooking the Potomac River.[19] In her book On Architecture, Ada Louise Huxtable called it "gemütlich Speer."[20]

text: Cyril M. Harris designed the Kennedy Center's auditoriums and their acoustics.[21] A key consideration is that many aircraft fly along the Potomac River and overhead the Kennedy Center, as they take off and land at the nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Helicopter traffic over the Kennedy Center is also fairly high. To keep out this noise, the Kennedy Center was designed as a box within a box, giving each auditorium an extra outer shell.[22]

text: After the original structure was marked for expansion, a competition in 2013 selected Steven Holl Architects  to undertake the design.[23]

text: Artwork[edit]

text: The plaza entrance of the Kennedy Center features two tableaus by German sculptor Jürgen Weber; created between 1965 and 1971, which were a gift to the Kennedy Center from the West German government. Near the north end of the plaza is a display of nude figures in scenes representing war and peace, called War or Peace. The piece, 8 ft × 50 ft × 1.5 ft (2.44 m × 15.24 m × 0.46 m), depicts five scenes showing the symbolism of war and peace: a war scene, murder, family, and creativity.[24] At the south end is America which represents Weber's image of America (8 × 50 × 1.5 ft.). Four scenes are depicted representing threats to liberty, technology, foreign aid and survival, and free speech.[25] It took the artist four years to sculpt the two reliefs in plaster, creating 200 castings, and another two years for the foundry in Berlin to cast the pieces. In 1994, the Smithsonian Institution's Save Outdoor Sculpture! program surveyed War or Peace and America and described them as being well maintained.[24][25] Another sculpture Don Quixote by Aurelio Teno occupies a site near the northeast corner of the building. King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain gave the sculpture to the United States for its Bicentennial, June 3, 1976.[26]

text: Venues[edit]

text: The Kennedy Center has three main theaters: the Concert Hall, the Opera House, and the Eisenhower Theater.

text: Concert Hall[edit]

text: The Concert Hall, located at the south end of the Center, seats 2,442 including chorister seats and stage boxes, and has a seating arrangement similar to that used in many European halls such as Musikverein in Vienna. The Concert Hall is the largest performance space in the Kennedy Center and is the home of the National Symphony Orchestra. A 1997 renovation brought a high-tech acoustical canopy, handicap-accessible locations on every level, and new seating sections (onstage boxes, chorister seats, and parterre seats). The Hadeland crystal chandeliers, given by the government of Norway, were repositioned to provide a clearer view.[14] Canadian organbuilder Casavant Frères constructed and installed a new pipe organ in 2012.[27]

text: Opera House[edit]

text: The Opera House, in the middle, has about 2,300 seats. Its interior features include walls covered in red velvet, a distinctive red and gold silk curtain, given by the Japanese government, and Lobmeyr crystal chandelier with matching pendants, which were a gift from the government of Austria.[14] It is the major opera, ballet, and large-scale musical venue of the Center, and closed during the 2003/2004 season for extensive renovations which provided a revised seating arrangement and redesigned entrances at the orchestra level. It is the home of the Washington National Opera and the annual Kennedy Center Honors.

text: Eisenhower Theater[edit]

text: The Eisenhower Theater, on the north side, seats about 1,163 and is named for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who signed the National Cultural Center Act into law on September 2, 1958. It primarily hosts plays and musicals, smaller-scale operas, ballet and contemporary dance. The theater contains an orchestra pit for up to 35 musicians that is convertible to a forestage or additional seating space. The venue reopened in October 2008, following a 16-month renovation which altered the color scheme and seating arrangements.

text: Other performance venues[edit]

text: Other performance venues in the Center include:

text:
The Family Theater, with 324 seats, opened December 9, 2005. It replaced the former American Film Institute Theater located adjacent to the Hall of States. The new Family Theater provides a home for world-class family theater performances for the nation's youth and continues the Kennedy Center's $125 million commitment to performing arts education for adults and children alike. Designed by the architectural firm Richter Cornbrooks Gribble, Inc. of Baltimore, the new theater incorporates the most modern theatrical innovations available, including: premium audio technologies; a computerized rigging system; and a digital video projection system.
The Terrace Theater, with 513 seats, was constructed on the roof terrace level in the late 1970s as a Bicentennial gift from the people of Japan to the United States. It is used for intimate performances of chamber music, ballet and contemporary dance, and theater.
The Theater Lab, with 399 seats, currently houses the whodunit Shear Madness which has been playing continuously since August 1987.
The Millennium Stage. Part of the concept of "Performing Arts for Everyone" launched by then-Chairman James Johnson in the winter of 1997, the Millennium Stage provides free performances every evening at 6:00 pm on two specially created stages at either end of the Grand Foyer. A broad range of art forms are featured on the Millennium Stage. These include performing artists and groups from all 50 states and an Artist-in-Residence program featuring artists performing several evenings in a month. Every show on the Millennium Stage is available as a simulcast of the live show at 6:00 pm, and is archived for later viewing via the Kennedy Center's website. "Performing Arts for Everyone" was designed to introduce the Kennedy Center and its programs to a far wider audience than ever before by providing a performance open to the public and free of charge 365 days a year. In addition, "Performing Arts for Everyone" initiatives include low- and no-cost tickets available to performances on every stage of the Kennedy Center, and several outreach programs designed to increase access to the Center's tickets and performances.
The Conservatory Project, an initiative of the Millennium Stage, is a semi-annual event occurring in February and May that is designed to present the best young musical artists in classical, jazz, musical theater, opera and more from our nation's leading undergraduate and graduate conservatories, colleges and universities in performance at the Kennedy Center.  It is designed to create an ongoing showcase for young talent, and to introduces Washington audiences to young musicians who are destined to have important careers.  The Conservatory Project creates an ongoing showcase for our nation's exceptional young talent and introduces Washington audiences to young musicians destined to have important careers.
The KC Jazz Club. March 12, 2003, the space formerly known as the Education Resource Center was officially designated the Terrace Gallery. It is now home to the Kennedy Center Jazz Club.

text: River and rooftop terraces[edit]

text: The Kennedy Center offers one of the few open-air rooftop terraces in downtown Washington, D.C.; it is free of charge to the public from 10:00 a.m. until midnight each day, except when closed for private events. The wide terrace provides views in all four directions overlooking the Rosslyn skyline in Arlington, Virginia, to the West; the Potomac River and National Airport to the South; the Washington Harbor and the Watergate Complex to the North; and the Lincoln Memorial, Department of State buildings, George Washington University and the Saudi Embassy to the East.

text: Productions[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Dance[edit]

text: World premiere performances of Kennedy Center-commissioned works have been offered through a commissioning program for new ballet and dance works. These works have been created by America's foremost choreographers—Paul Taylor, Lar Lubovitch, and Merce Cunningham—for leading American dance companies including American Ballet Theatre, Ballet West, Houston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and the San Francisco Ballet. Since 1999, the Kennedy Center has supported and produced the Suzanne Farrell Ballet in performances at the Center and on extended tours.

text: The Center sponsors two annual dance residency programs for young people; Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell and the Dance Theatre of Harlem Residency Program, both now in their second decade. The Kennedy Center's Contemporary Dance series offers a wide range of artistic perspectives, from the foremost masters of the genre to the art form's newest and most exciting artists. In the 2008/2009 series, the Kennedy Center recognized Modern Masters of American Dance, bringing Martha Graham Dance Company, Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Limón Dance Company, Mark Morris Dance Group, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and Paul Taylor Dance Company.

text: Education[edit]

text: In recent years the Kennedy Center has dramatically expanded its education programs to reach young people, teachers, and families throughout the nation. The 2005 opening of the Family Theater has helped achieve this.

text: For over 35 years, the Kennedy Center Education Department has provided arts experiences through performances, residencies, workshops, conferences, career development programs, symposia, and on-line and print resources. In the past year, the Center's education programs have directly impacted more than 11 million people across the nation. The Education Department fosters understandings and participation in the performing arts through programs and performances for diverse populations of all ages.

text: Performances for Young Audiences[edit]

text: The 2008–2009 season programming for Performances for Young Audiences reached more than 100 performances for young people and their families and over 110 performances for school audiences. The season included four Kennedy Center-commissioned world premieres: The Trumpet of the Swan, a musical adapted by Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman from the book by E.B. White with music by Jason Robert Brown; Mermaids, Monsters, and the World Painted Purple, a new play by Marco Ramirez; Unleashed! The Secret Lives of White House Pets, a new play by Allyson Currin in collaboration with the White House Historical Association; and OMAN...O man!, a new dance production conceived and directed by Debbie Allen and is part of the Center's Arab festival, Arabesque: Arts of the Arab World. Theater for Young Audiences on Tour toured with two nationally touring productions of The Phantom Tollbooth and Blues Journey.

text: On June 8, 2016 it was announced that the Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences-commissioned musical Elephant & Piggie’s We are in a Play!, with book and lyrics by Mo Willems and music by Deborah Wicks La Puma, will transfer to the Off-Broadway New Victory Theater in January 2017.[28]

text: Members of the National Symphony Orchestra will continue to present Teddy Bear Concerts throughout its seasons. During these concerts, children aged three to five bring their favorite stuffed animal to interactive musical programs featuring members of the NSO. Members of the NSO present NSO Ensemble Concerts, connecting music with various school subjects such as science and math, Kinderkonzerts, introducing kids to orchestral instruments and classical composers, as well as NSO Family Concerts.

text: Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF)[edit]

text: Started in 1969 by Roger L. Stevens, the Kennedy Center's founding chairman, the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide which has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theater in the United States. The KCACTF has grown into a network of more than 600 academic institutions throughout the country, where theater departments and student artists showcase their work and receive outside assessment by KCACTF respondents. Since its establishment in 1969, KCACTF has reached more than 17.5 million theatergoing students and teachers nationwide.

text: Changing Education Through the Arts (CETA)[edit]

text: The Kennedy Center's CETA program's mission is make the arts a critical component in every child's education. CETA, which stands for Changing Education Through the Arts, creates professional development opportunities for teachers and school administrators. Each year over 700 teachers participate in approximately 60 courses that focus on ways to integrate the arts into their teaching.[29] The Kennedy Center's CETA program also partners with sixteen schools in the Washington DC Metro area to develop long-range plan for arts integration at their school. Two of these schools, Kensington Parkwood Elementary School in Kensington, MD and Woodburn Elementary School for the Fine and Communicative Arts in Falls Church, Virginia serve as Research and Development schools for CETA.

text: Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell (EBSF)[edit]

text: Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell is a three-week summer ballet intensive for international pre-professional ballerinas ages 14–18. Suzanne Farrell, one of the most revered ballerinas of the 20th century, has been hosting this Balanchine-inspired intensive at the Kennedy Center since 1993.[30][31] During their three weeks in Washington, D.C., Farrell's students practice technique and choreography during  twice daily classes, six days per week. Outside of the classroom, excursions, activities and performance events are planned for EBSF students to fully immerse themselves in the culture of the nation's capital.[30]

text: Festivals[edit]

text: The Kennedy Center presents festivals celebrating cities, countries, and regions of the world. The festivals are filled with a wide range of performing arts, visual arts, cuisine, and multi-media. In 2008, the Center presented an exploration of the culture of Japan entitled Japan! culture + hyperculture. The 2009 Arab festival was an unprecedented exploration of the culture of the 22 Arab countries in the League of Arab States, titled Arabesque: Arts of the Arab World. In 2011, the Kennedy Center presented maximum INDIA, a three-week-long celebration of the arts and culture of the sub-continent.

text: Jazz[edit]

text: Since its establishment in September 1971, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has showcased world-class jazz in solo, various ensembles, and big band settings. In 1994, the Kennedy Center appointed Dr. Billy Taylor as Artistic Advisor for Jazz, and his first installation was his own radio show Billy Taylor's Jazz at the Kennedy Center. Featuring his trio and guest artists in performance and discussion, the series ran for seven seasons on NPR. Since Taylor's appointment in 1994, the Center has initiated numerous performance programs to promote jazz on a national stage, featuring leading international artists and rising stars, including: the Art Tatum Piano Panorama, named after Dr. Taylor's mentor; the Louis Armstrong Legacy, highlighting vocalists; the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival, the first festival by a major institution promoting outstanding female jazz artists; Beyond Category, featuring artists whose work transcends genre; the Platinum Series, with internationally acclaimed headliners; Jazz Ambassadors with the United States Department of State, sending musicians on worldwide goodwill tours (1998–2004); the KC Jazz Club, a highly praised intimate setting; and Discovery Artists in the KC Jazz Club, highlighting up-and-coming talent. Kennedy Center and NPR annually collaborated on the beloved holiday broadcast 'NPR's Piano Jazz Christmas', until the retirement of host Marian McPartland, and hence the show, in 2011. Since 2003, the Center's jazz programs have been regularly broadcast on NPR's JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater. Recent highlights, produced by the Center, have included Great Vibes, A Salute to Lionel Hampton (1995); Billy Taylor's 80th Birthday Celebration (2002); Nancy Wilson, A Career Celebration (2003); Michel Legrand with Patti Austin, part of the Center's Festival of France (2004); A Tribute to Shirley Horn (2004); James Moody's 80th Birthday (2005); and Benny Golson at 80 (2009). In March 2007, the Center hosted a once-in-a-lifetime celebration, Jazz in Our Time, which bestowed the Center's Living Jazz Legend Award to over 30 revered artists. During Dr. Taylor's tenure, the Center has created recognized educational initiatives, including national jazz satellite distance-learning programs; adult lecture series; master classes and workshops with national artists and local metropolitan Washington, D.C. students; and Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead—continuing the singer's legacy of identifying outstanding young talent. In 2015, Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett performed there as part of their Cheek to Cheek Tour.

text: National Symphony Orchestra (NSO)[edit]

text: The National Symphony Orchestra, the Kennedy Center's artistic affiliate since 1987, has commissioned dozens of new works, among them Stephen Albert's RiverRun, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Music; Morton Gould's Stringmusic, also a Pulitzer Prize-winner; William Bolcom's Sixth Symphony, and Michael Daugherty's UFO, a concerto for solo percussion and orchestra.

text: In addition to its regular season concerts, the National Symphony Orchestra presents a host of outreach, education, and pops programs, as well as concerts at Wolf Trap each year. The annual American Residencies for the Kennedy Center is a program unique to the National Symphony Orchestra and the Center. The Center sends the Orchestra to a different state each year for an intensive period of performances and teaching encompassing full orchestral, chamber, and solo concerts, master classes and other teaching sessions. The Orchestra has given these residencies in 20 states so far: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North and South Carolina, Oklahoma, North and South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Nevada, and Wyoming/Montana.

text: The NSO recording of John Corigliano's Of Rage and Remembrance won a Grammy Award in 1996.

text: Performing Arts for Everyone (PAFE)[edit]

text: The Kennedy Center is the only U.S. institution that presents a free performance 365 days a year. The Millennium Stage, created as part of the Center's Performing Arts for Everyone initiative in 1997 and underwritten by James A. Johnson and Maxine Isaacs, features a broad spectrum of performing arts, from dance and jazz, to chamber music and folk, comedy, storytelling and theater. In the past twelve years, over three million people have attended Millennium Stage performances. The Millennium Stage has presented more than 42,000 artists, which includes over 4,000 international artists from more than 70 countries; performers representing all 50 states; and 20,000 Washington-area ensembles and solo artists. The Charlie Byrd Trio and the Billy Taylor Trio were the first artists to delight audiences with a free performance on March 1, 1997. In 1999, the Center began web-casting each night's live performance, and continues to archive and maintain each event in a database of over 3,000 performances which may be accessed via the Center's website. Performing Arts for Everyone initiatives also include low- and no-cost tickets available to performances on every stage of the Kennedy Center, and several outreach programs designed to increase access to Kennedy Center tickets and performances.

text: Theater[edit]

text: The Center has co-produced more than 300 new works of theater over the past 43 years, including Tony-winning shows ranging from Annie in 1977 to A Few Good Men, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The King and I, Titanic, and the American premiere of Les Misérables. The Center also produced the Sondheim Celebration (six Stephen Sondheim musicals) in 2002, Tennessee Williams Explored (three of Tennessee Williams' classic plays) in 2004, Mame starring Christine Baranski in 2006, Carnival! in 2007, August Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle (Wilson's complete ten-play cycle performed as fully staged readings) and Broadway: Three Generations both in 2008, and a new production of Ragtime in 2009. The Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays has provided critical support in the development of 135 new theatrical works. In 2011, a new production of Follies starring Bernadette Peters opened at the Eisenhower Theater, and transferred to Broadway that fall.[needs update]

text: Kennedy Center Honors[edit]

text: Since 1978, the Kennedy Center Honors have been awarded annually by the Center's Board of Trustees. Each year, five artists or groups are honored for their lifetime contributions to American culture and the performing arts, including dance, music, theater, opera, film, and television.[32] The Center has awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor since 1998.

text: Local performing arts organizations[edit]

text: Many local arts organizations present (or have presented) their work at the Kennedy Center. Some of these include:

text:
American Film Institute
The Cathedral Choral Society of Washington
Choral Arts Society of Washington
Korean Concert Society
The Masterworks Chorus
Opera Lafayette
Theater Chamber Players
Vocal Arts Society of Washington, DC
VSA arts
The Washington Ballet
The Washington Chorus
Washington Concert Opera
Washington National Opera
Washington Performing Arts Society[33]
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
Young Concert Artists of Washington[34]

text: Other events[edit]

text: During the American Bicentennial, the Kennedy Center hosted numerous special events throughout 1976, including six commissioned plays.[35] The center hosted free performances by groups from each state.[36] In December 1976, Mikhail Baryshnikov's version of The Nutcracker ballet played for two weeks.[37]

text: The Kennedy Center also hosts special inauguration events and galas.

text: In 1977, the Opera House hosted George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra with Rex Harrison and Elizabeth Ashley.[38] The American Ballet Theatre has also frequently performed at the Kennedy Center.[39] The troupe's 2004 production of Swan Lake, choreographed by Kevin McKenzie, was taped there, shown on PBS in June 2005, and released on DVD shortly after.

text: Productions of The Lion King and Trevor Nunn's production of My Fair Lady (choreographed by Matthew Bourne) were presented in the 2007–2008 season, to name a few.[40]

text: Millennium Stage Archives[edit]

text: The Kennedy Center stages free daily performances on its Millennium Stage in the Grand Foyer. Featured on the Millennium Stage are a range             of art forms, including performing artists and groups.

text: The two theaters of The Millennium Stage are equipped with lights, sound systems, and cameras. Every free event performed at this stage is recorded and archived on the Kennedy Center's website. These archives have been available to the public for free since 2009.[41]

text: VSA[edit]

text: VSA (formerly VSA arts) is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to create a society where people with disabilities learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts. VSA provides educators, parents, and artists with resources and the tools to support arts programming in schools and communities. VSA showcases the accomplishments of artists with disabilities and promotes increased access to the arts for people with disabilities. Each year 7 million people participate in VSA programs through a nationwide network of affiliates and in 54 countries around the world. Affiliated with the Kennedy Center since 2005, VSA was officially merged into the organization in 2011 to become part of the Center's Department of VSA and Accessibility.

text: Renovations and expansion[edit]

text: On June 16, 1971, Congress authorized appropriations for one year to the Board of Trustees for operating and maintenance expenses. In following years, the appropriations were provided to the National Park Service for operations, maintenance, security, safety and other functions not directly related to the performing arts activities.[42] The National Park Service and the Kennedy Center signed a cooperative agreement requiring each party to pay a portion of the operating and maintenance costs based on what proportion of time the building was to be used for performing arts functions. The agreement did not specify who was responsible for long-term capital improvement projects at the Kennedy Center, along with only periodic funding by Congress for one-time projects.[43]

text: In fiscal years 1991 and 1992, Congress recommended that $27.7 million be allocated for capital improvement projects at the Center, including $12 million for structural repairs to the garage and $15.7 million for structural and mechanical repairs, as well as projects for improving handicapped access.[44] In 1994, Congress gave full responsibility to the Kennedy Center for capital improvement projects and facility management.[45] From 1995 to 2005, over $200 million of federal funds were allocated to the Kennedy Center for long-term capital projects, repairs, and to bring the center into compliance with modern fire safety and accessibility codes.[45] Improvements included renovation of the Concert Hall, Opera House, plaza-level public spaces, and a new fire alarm system.[46] The renovations projects were completed 13 to 50 percent over budget, due to modifications of plans during the renovations resulting in overtime and other penalties.[47] Renovations to the Eisenhower Theater were completed in 2008.[40]

text: The Center is currently engaged in an 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2) expansion project on four acres in the Center's South Plaza. The project will add classroom, rehearsal, and performance space and includes construction of three pavilions (the Welcome Pavilion, the Skylight Pavilion, and the River Pavilion), reflecting pool, a tree grove, a sloping lawn to be used for outdoor performances, and a pedestrian bridge over Rock Creek Parkway.[48][49] The architect is Steven Holl,[49] with assistance from architectural firm BNIM.[50]

text: Plans for the project began after David M. Rubenstein donated $50 million to the center.[50] A groundbreaking ceremony took place in December 2014. Originally estimated to cost $100 million, the cost of the project grew to $175 million, and design changes and a major D.C. sewer project significantly delayed construction. The opening of the expansion is set for September 2019.[49]

text: Management[edit]

text: Prior to 1980, daily operations of the Kennedy Center were overseen by the chairman of the board of directors, and by the board itself. Aspects of the center's programming and operations were overseen by various other people. George London was the Kennedy Center's first executive director (often called "artistic director" by the press, although that was not the formal title), serving from 1968 to 1970,[51] while William McCormick Blair, Jr. was its first administrative director.[52] Julius Rudel took over as music director in 1971.[53] In 1972, Martin Feinstein replaced London and held the position of artistic director until 1980.[54] Marta Casals Istomin was named the first female artistic director in 1980, a position she held until 1990;[55] she was also the first person to be formally invested with that title.[56][57]

text: In 1991, the board created the position of chief operating officer to remove the day-to-day operations of the Kennedy center from the chairman and board. Lawrence Wilker was hired to fill the position, which later was retitled president.[58] The artistic director continued to oversee artistic programming, under the president's direction.

text: Michael Kaiser became president of the Kennedy Center in 2001. He left the organization when his contract expired in September 2014.[58][59]

text: In September 2014, Deborah F. Rutter became its third president; she is the first woman to hold that post. Rutter had previously been president of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, a position she held from 2003.[55]

text: Board of Trustees[edit]

text: The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, formally known as the Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, maintains and administers the Center and its site. David M. Rubenstein is the chairman of the board.

text: The honorary chair members of the board are the First Lady and her living predecessors. Members of the board are specified by 20 USC 76h and include ex officio members such as the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Librarian of Congress, the Secretary of State (substituting for the Director of the United States Information Agency after that agency was abolished), the Chairman of the Commission of Fine Arts, the Mayor of the District of Columbia, the Superintendent of Schools of the District of Columbia, the Director of the National Park Service, the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, as well as 36 general trustees appointed by the President of the United States for six-year terms.[60]


document_title: Restaurant management

question_text: who runs kitchen when executive chef is absent

root

text: Restaurant management

text: Responsibilities[edit]

text: Administration[edit]

text: The Owner (or proprietor) is the person responsible for the business in general.

tag: p

text: The General Manager or Operations Manager (may also be called the Managing Partner if he owns a stake in the business) is the person who operates the restaurant for the owner.

text: The Assistant Manager or Administrative Assistant manages the office and business aspect of the restaurant, is responsible for Human Resources (including payroll), financial and taxation documentation, and all record management.

text: Front-of-the-House Management[edit]

text: The Maître d'hôtel (or Manager) is entirely responsible for all front-of-the-house operations, manages staff who give services to customers and allocate the duties of opening and closing the restaurant. He or she is responsible for making sure his or her staff is following the service standards and health and safety regulations. He or she is the most important person in the front-of-the-house environment, since it is up to him or her to motivate the staff and give them job satisfaction. He or she looks after and guides the personal well-being of the staff, since it makes the work force stronger and more profitable, and works with other executive management officers such as the Executive Chef and the Owner.

text: The Beverage Manager (or Bar Manager, Bartender) is responsible for all the beverage, beverage service and bar operations of the restaurant. He or she reports directly to the Maître d'hôtel (Manager). Beverage managers order bar inventory, maintain and track inventory, issue bar stock, and schedule bar service personnel. Often a bar manager will have prior experience as a bartender. Often, a beverage manager will have extensive knowledge of beverages that include wine, beer, and spirits.

text: Back-of-the-House Management[edit]

text: The Executive Chef usually operates in corporate restaurant companies. He or she is entirely responsible for all back-of-the-house operations, and works with other executive management officers such as the Maitre d'Hôtel and the Owner .

text: The Chef de Cuisine (or Executive Sous Chef) manages the kitchen staff working in the kitchen and creates the menus in absence of the Executive Chef.

text: The kitchen is often referred to as the heart of the restaurant . They create the menu and "specials" as well as order the products needed for the menu recipes. Managing the kitchen staff helps to control food timing, quality, and cost. Kitchen management involves, most importantly, cost control and budgeting.

text: The Sous Chef (or Kitchen Manager) oversees the daily kitchen operations. He or she acts also as the Chef de Cuisine when he or she is not in the restaurant.

text: The Head Cook is the Head Preparation Chef who supervises food preparation (prep).

text: The Head Station Chef (or Head/Lead Line Chef/Cook) supervises the cooking or "work" of your menu order and the "push" to ensure your entire table will receive their order at the same time.


document_title: My Guy

question_text: what film is the song my guy in

question_tokens: what film is the song my guy in

text: My Guy

text: Mary Wells version[edit]

text: At the session for the "My Guy" backing track the studio musicians were having issues completing the intro: with the musicians having been playing all day and a half-hour scheduled studio time left, trombonist George Bohanon pointed out to keyboardist Earl Van Dyke that the opening measure of "Canadian Sunset" could be perfectly juxtaposed on the intro's chord changes, and Van Dyke, the session bandleader, expediently constructed an intro incorporating the opening of "Canadian Sunset" and also the "left hand notes" from "Canadian Sunset" composer Eddie Heywood's rendition of "Begin the Beguine". Van Dyke would recall: "We were doing anything to get the hell out of that studio. We knew that the producers didn't know nothing 'bout no 'Canadian Sunset' or 'Begin the Beguine'. We figured the song would wind up in the trash can anyway".[1]

text: When Wells recorded her vocal she sang over the song's outro with a huskiness evoking the line delivery of Mae West: Wells would recall: "I was only joking but the producers said 'Keep it going, keep it going'."[1]

text: "My Guy" became the biggest hit ever for Wells, Motown's first female star, and reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart on 16 May 1964.[2] The song led the Cashbox magazine R&B chart for seven weeks.[3] "My Guy" was also Wells' last hit single for Motown, except for duets she recorded with label mate Marvin Gaye. An option in her recording contract let Wells terminate the contract at her discretion after she reached her twenty-first birthday on May 13, 1964. Encouraged by her ex-husband, Wells broke her Motown contract and signed with 20th Century Fox in hopes of higher royalties and possible movie roles. However, Wells' career never again reached the heights it had at Motown, and she never again had a hit single as big as "My Guy".

text: Her version of the song was used in the film "More American Graffiti" (1979)

text: In the United Kingdom, "My Guy" peaked at number five in June 1964.

text: Personnel[edit]

text:
Lead vocals by Mary Wells
Background vocals by The Andantes: Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps
Written and produced by William "Smokey" Robinson
Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers:

Earl Van Dyke: organ
Johnny Griffith: piano
Eddie Willis: guitar
Robert White: guitar
James Jamerson: double bass
Benny Benjamin: drums
Dave Hamilton: vibes
Herbert Williams: trumpet
Russ Conway: trumpet
Paul Riser: trombone
George Bohanon: trombone

tag: ul

text:
Preceded by
"Hello, Dolly!" by Louis Armstrong
Billboard Hot 100 number one single
(Mary Wells version)
May 16, 1964 (2 weeks)
Succeeded by
"Love Me Do" by The Beatles

tag: table

text: Other versions[edit]

text:
"My Guy"

Single by Petula Clark

from the album Now

B-side
"Little Bit of Lovin'"

Released
May 1972

Format
7" single

Recorded
1972

Genre
Easy listening

Length
3:12

Label
MGM

Songwriter(s)
Smokey Robinson

Producer(s)
Mike Curb, Don Costa

Petula Clark singles chronology

"I Don't Know How to Love Him"
(1971)
"My Guy"
(1972)
"Wedding Song (There Is Love)"
(1972)

"I Don't Know How to Love Him"
(1971)
"My Guy"
(1972)
"Wedding Song (There Is Love)"
(1972)

text:
"My Guy"

Single by Sister Sledge

from the album The Sisters

B-side
"Il Macquillage Lady"

Released
January 1982

Format
7" single

Recorded
1981

Genre
soul

Length
3:45

Label
Cotillion

Songwriter(s)
Smokey Robinson

Producer(s)
Sister Sledge

Sister Sledge singles chronology

"He's Just a Runaway"
(1981)
"My Guy"
(1982)
"All the Man I Need"
(1982)

"He's Just a Runaway"
(1981)
"My Guy"
(1982)
"All the Man I Need"
(1982)

text: "My Guy" has three times returned to the "Billboard" Hot 100 first as rendered by Petula Clark whose rendition featured on her 1971 album Now peaked at #70 crossing over from the Easy Listening chart where it reached #12. In 1980 Amii Stewart and Johnny Bristol recorded a medley of "My Guy" and another Motown classic, the Temptations' "My Girl": "My Guy - My Girl (Medley)" peaked #63 in the U.S. - #76 R&B - and #39 UK. The track was re-issued in 1986 with Bristol's vocal being replaced by Deon Estus: this version reached #63 UK. Sister Sledge remade "My Guy" for their 1982 album self-produced album The Sisters: Kathy Sledge, the group's usual lead singer, would recall - "I had very little input [into the album], but I did push for 'My Guy'."[4] Issued as the album's lead single, "My Guy" afforded Sister Sledge their third Top 40 hit although with a #23 peak its chart impact was well below that of the group's precedent hits "He's the Greatest Dancer" and "We Are Family" (both 1979), which had respective chart peaks of #9 and #2. "My Guy" also afforded Sister Sledge a fifth and final Top 20 R&B hit its R&B chart peak being #14. The Sister Sledge version of "My Guy" had its strongest impact on the Easy Listening chart where it rose as high as #2. Sister Sledge performed "My Guy" on the episode of the CBS-TV sitcom The Jeffersons entitled My Guy, George taped 17 January 1984 and broadcast 4 March 1984: in the guise of struggling musical act the Satin Sisters, Sister Sledge wooed George Jefferson to act as their manager by singing him an a cappella rendition of "My Guy" with the lyrics modified to flatter Jefferson.

text: "My Guy" has twice reached the C&W chart in renderings by Lynda K Lance (#46 C&W/ 1971) and by Margo Smith (#43 C&W/ 1980).

text: The song has also been recorded by Lucia Altieri (it) (rendered in Italian as "Non Ti Scuso Piu"), Aretha Franklin, Nancy Holloway (fr) (rendered in French as "Bye Bye"), Claudine Longet, Barbara McNair, Melba Moore, Dara Sedaka, and Helen Shapiro. Mary Wells herself re-recorded the song in a funk rendition for her 1984 album, I'm a Lady.

text: More than via any straightforward remake, "My Guy" has had its highest profile since the Mary Wells original through its appearance on the soundtrack of the Whoopi Goldberg film Sister Act (1992) in a rendition that substitutes "My Guy" with "My God," transforming the song into a faux-gospel number. In 1999, "My Guy" was inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame.

text: In 2008, the Los Angeles-based rock group Warpaint performed a version of the song on their EP Exquisite Corpse (EP) under the title "Billie Holliday".


document_title: The Secret Life of Pets

question_text: who plays the small white dog in secret life of pets

text: The Secret Life of Pets

text: Plot[edit]

text: A Jack Russell Terrier named Max lives with his owner Katie in a Manhattan apartment. While she is at work during the day, he hangs out with other pets in the building: tabby cat Chloe, pug Mel, dachshund Buddy, and budgerigar Sweet Pea. One day, Katie adopts Duke, a large mongrel from the pound, leaving Max jealous because of her divided focus on Duke. Enraged by Max's attitude towards him, Duke tries to abandon Max in an alley, but they are both attacked by cats led by Sphynx cat Ozone who removes both dogs' collars and leaves them to be caught by Animal Control. Duke fears that he will be killed if he goes back to the pound. When Gidget, a white Pomeranian who is (not so) secretly in love with Max, discovers that he is missing, she decides to find him.

text: Max and Duke are rescued by a white rabbit named Snowball, the leader of "The Flushed Pets"—a gang of sewer-dwelling animals who hate humans because their owners mistreated them. After Max and Duke pretend to despise humans as much as they do by saying they killed their owners, the Flushed Pets invite them to join. Before they can prove their loyalty by allowing a one-fanged viper to bite them, Snowball learns from the cats that Max and Duke are domesticated. The two dogs escape the sewers and board a ferry to Brooklyn, inadvertently killing the viper in the process. Snowball vows to kill them and leads the Flushed Pets after them.

text: Meanwhile, Gidget recruits a red-tailed hawk named Tiberius to find Max, but he mistakenly locates Ozone, whom Gidget coerces into telling what he knows about the dogs. They then enlist Mel, Buddy, Chloe, guinea pig Norman and Sweet Pea. On the way, they meet Pops, an old Basset Hound who helps Gidget and the pets find Max. Meanwhile, Max and Duke raid a sausage factory for food. Then, Gidget and her team encounter Snowball, who vows to kill them as well, and Norman is captured as the rest of Gidget's team flees.

text: In the meantime, Duke tells Max about his previous owner, Fred, an elderly man who adopted him as a puppy and loved spending time with him. One day, Duke got lost while chasing a butterfly and was caught by Animal Control, but Fred never came to claim him. Max convinces him to visit Fred's house in a nearby neighborhood, confident Fred will still love him and take him back. When they arrive at Fred's house, they learn from the resident cat Reginald that Fred has died. Heartbroken, Duke accuses Max of attempting to get rid of him and barks at the new homeowners who have just returned to the house and called Animal Control. The handlers catch Max, but Duke interferes long enough for Max to escape and ends up being captured instead.

text: While trying to rescue Duke as he follows the Animal Control van, Max is attacked by Snowball who tries to kill him. However, when his gang is captured, Snowball realizes that he and Max must work together to rescue them. They drive a city bus into the van on the Brooklyn Bridge, stopping traffic. The Flushed Pets encircle Max, unaware of his partnership with Snowball, but Gidget and her team save him. Upon seeing Gidget using her kung-fu fighting skills, and Max starts to fall in love with her. The van gets stuck in scaffolding and the Flushed Pets escape. As soon as Max gets the keys to Duke's cage, the van plummets into the East River with him inside. Max is unable to free Duke, so Snowball jumps into the river to retrieve the keys, allowing them to escape the sinking van.

text: The entire group returns to the apartment block by pig-driven taxi. Max expresses his love for Gidget, who returns his affection. Snowball and the Flushed Pets then come up with a new plan to annihilate all humans, but a little girl named Molly arrives and adopts Snowball and the remaining Flushed Pets return to the sewers. At first, Snowball resists, but gives in and lets himself become a domesticated pet. The other pets return to their homes and embrace their owners, and Max and Duke finally reunite with Katie, sparking a true friendship.

text: Buddy and Mel show up in costume at a party in poodle Leonard's apartment. Leonard's owner returns and Tattoo crashes to the floor on the chandelier.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Louis C.K. as Max, a Jack Russell Terrier.[7]
Eric Stonestreet as Duke, a large, brown, shaggy mongrel.[7]
Kevin Hart as Snowball, a white rabbit.[7]
Jenny Slate as Gidget, a white Pomeranian and Max's love interest.
Ellie Kemper as Katie, Max and Duke's friendly owner.[1][8]
Lake Bell as Chloe, an obese and apathetic grey tabby cat who is one of Max's friends.[8]
Dana Carvey as Pops, an elderly Basset Hound who is paralyzed in his back legs.[9]
Hannibal Buress as Buddy, a laid-back dachshund and one of Max's friends.[8][10]
Bobby Moynihan as Mel, a hyperactive pug and one of Max's friends.
Steve Coogan as Ozone, a Cockney-accented Sphynx cat.

Coogan also voices Reginald, a malevolent Himalayan cat.

Albert Brooks as Tiberius, a curmudgeonly red-tailed hawk.[8][10]
Chris Renaud as Norman, a guinea pig who keeps getting lost trying to find his apartment.
Michael Beattie as Tattoo, a slow-witted tattooed pig who is one of the Flushed Pets.
Sandra Echeverría as Maria, a character from the La Pasión de la Pasión telenovela that Gidget watches.
Jaime Camil as Fernando, a character from the La Pasión de la Pasión telenovela that Gidget watches.
Kiely Renaud as Molly, a little girl who adopts Snowball.

text: Production[edit]

text: Renaud first became involved with the project in 2012, while he was still working on Despicable Me 2.[11] At that time, Illumination's CEO Chris Meledandri pitched him an idea on a film about what pets do when their caretakers are away.[11] While Renaud found the premise interesting he and his team did not know what form the story would take, with them at one point considering making it a murder mystery, before deciding to make something "that was a bit more relatable" [12]

text: The team used Jean-Jacques Sempé as an influence in designing the environment and attention was specifically paid to keep the designs "very vertically oriented"[11] In keeping with the tradition of old WB cartoons, the owners faces are almost never seen.[11] The home of the Flushed Pets was created to "hint at the darker side" of pet ownership "without, hopefully, getting too heavy.[11] as well as to explore "this whole mythology in New York of the world that’s unseen, " while still maintaining the pet theme.[11] The animation was created entirely in France by Illumination Mac Guff.[13]

text: Music and soundtrack[edit]

text:
The Secret Life of Pets (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Soundtrack album by Alexandre Desplat

Released
July 1, 2016 (2016-07-01)

Recorded
2016

Genre

Film score
Jazz
Classical

Length
51:31

Label
Back Lot Music

Producer
Dominique Lemonnier

Alexandre Desplat soundtrack chronology

Florence Foster Jenkins
(2016)Florence Foster Jenkins2016
The Secret Life of Pets
(2016)
The Light Between Oceans
(2016)The Light Between Oceans2016

text: The original score for the film was composed by Alexandre Desplat.[14] The soundtrack was released on July 1, 2016 by Back Lot Music.[15]

text: All music composed by Alexandre Desplat, except "We Go Together" by The Sausage Factory Singers.

text:
showTrack listing

No.
Title
Length

1.
"Meet the Pets"
2:37

2.
"Katie's Leaving"
0:55

3.
"Meet Duke"
3:36

4.
"Fetch Me a Stick"
3:09

5.
"Telenovela Squirrels"
1:24

6.
"Hijack!"
2:00

7.
"Gidget Meets Tiberius"
4:56

8.
"Initiation Time"
1:01

9.
"Rooftop Route"
1:27

10.
"The Viper"
1:49

11.
"You Have an Owner?"
3:04

12.
"Good Morning Max"
1:21

13.
"Sewer Chase"
1:09

14.
"Who's With Me?"
1:21

15.
"Me Like What Me See"
0:54

16.
"Traveling Bossa"
1:56

17.
"Flushed Out To Brooklyn"
2:47

18.
"Sausages!"
1:13

19.
"Duke's Old House / Captured"
3:03

20.
"Brooklyn Bridge Showdown"
2:34

21.
"Rescuing Duke"
2:46

22.
"Wet But Handsome / Blue Taxi"
1:24

23.
"Max and Gidget"
1:36

24.
"Welcome Home"
1:57

25.
"We Go Together" (originally from Grease)
1:24

Total length:
51:31

text: Release[edit]

text: The film was originally scheduled to be released on February 12, 2016, but was pushed back to July 8, 2016.[2] It was released in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D using DMR.[16][better source needed] The Secret Life of Pets premiered at the 2016 Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 16, 2016, and was screened at VidCon.[17] The film is accompanied by a Despicable Me short film entitled Mower Minions.

text: Home media[edit]

text: The Secret Life of Pets was released on Digital HD on November 22, 2016, and on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, Ultra HD Blu-ray, and DVD on December 6, 2016. In addition to the short film Mower Minions which was released theatrically with the feature film, the releases also include two short films: Norman Television and Weenie.[18]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: The Secret Life of Pets grossed $368.4 million in Canada and the U.S. and $507.1 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $875.5 million against a production budget of $75 million.[4] Its international takings helped push Universal Pictures [International] past $1 billion for the tenth consecutive year[19] and aided Illumination Entertainment to pass the $4 billion mark for the first time since 2010.[20]

text: It is the fifth-highest-grossing original worldwide film of all time (behind Avatar, Zootopia, The Lion King, and Finding Nemo),[21] the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2016,[22] the twelfth-highest-grossing animated film of all time, and the 51st-highest-grossing film of all time. Deadline.com calculated the net profit of the film to be $374.6 million when factoring together all expenses and revenues for the film, making it the most profitable release of 2016.[23]

text: North America[edit]

text: In Canada and the United States, the film was projected to gross around $70 million in its opening weekend with some predictions going as high as $100 million.[24][25][26] It received the widest release for an animated film as well as for a PG-rated film (breaking Shrek Forever After's record) and the seventh-widest of all time overall across 4,370 theaters, the widest release since The Dark Knight Rises.[25][27][28][29] It made $5.3 million from Thursday night previews in 3,009 theaters which is the second-biggest of all time for Illumination behind only Minions ($6.2 million), and the third biggest of all time for an animated film behind Finding Dory ($9.2 million) and Minions.[26][30] This was followed by a record-breaking $38.5 million opening day gross (including previews), the biggest for an original film.[31][32] In its opening weekend, it exceeded expectations and grossed $104.4 million, finishing first at the box office.[33] Its debut is the sixth-biggest for an animated film, the sixth highest weekend debut in July, and the fourth-biggest opening weekend for Universal Pictures.[34] It also set the record for the largest opening for an original film, eclipsing the $90.4 million debut of Inside Out.[35][36]

text: In its second weekend, the film made $50.8 million (-51.3%) while maintaining the top spot, despite facing stiff competition with newcomer Ghostbusters.[37] Although it slipped into second place when overtaken by Star Trek Beyond in its third weekend, it was still able to fend off the two other new releases—Lights Out and Ice Age: Collision Course—by earning another $29.6 million.[38] It passed $300 million on its twenty-sixth day—the same day it crossed $400 million worldwide[39]—becoming the seventh film of 2016,[40] the seventh Universal Pictures film (the first for the year),[41] and the twelfth animated film overall to reach the benchmark.[42]

text: Outside North America[edit]

text: Internationally, The Secret Life of Pets received a scattered release from June to September in a total of 69 markets, and faced competition from other animated films such as Finding Dory and Ice Age: Collision Course in the course of its release.[43][44][45] In total, it had number-one openings in 45 markets and recorded the biggest opening for an original animated film in 17 territories, and the No. 1 animated film of 2016 to date in 13 markets.[20][46] It topped the international box office in its ninth weekend after earning $43.8 million in 53 markets (dethroning Suicide Squad).[47] However, this wasn't the film's biggest single weekend gross. Its biggest weekend gross was actually in its seventh weekend when it grossed $69.3 million. It opened at No. 3 behind Suicide Squad ($133.3 million) and the Chinese film Time Raiders ($64.6 million) that weekend.[48]

text: It was released in the United Kingdom and Norway two weeks ahead of its U.S. release, where it grossed a combined total of $14.1 million in the two markets.[43] Prior to its official debut in the UK and the Republic of Ireland on June 24, the film had two days' worth of previews on June 18 and 19 from which it made £3.63 million ($5.2 million) in two days. This figure was later counted in the film's official opening weekend.[49] It went on to score the fourth-biggest original animation opening weekend ever there, with £9.58 million ($13.4 million) from 592 theaters, trailing behind Inside Out, Monsters, Inc., and Up. Excluding previews, its total three-day opening was $8.1 million.[50][51] This was amidst Brexit and despite facing competition from Independence Day: Resurgence.[43][52] The film held off extremely well in its second and third weekend falling just 20% and 24%, earning £4.47 million ($6.1 million) and £3.62 million ($4.8 million) respectively despite facing some competitions.[53][54] It has topped the box office for three consecutive weekends and has grossed total of $41 million there.[55] In Norway, it took the number one spot as well, with $778,000.[43] It scored the biggest animation opening of 2016 and the second-biggest of all time overall in both Taiwan ($2 million)—behind Madagascar, and Hong Kong ($1.9 million)—behind Inside Out.[44]

text: In Argentina, the film had a record-breaking number-one debut with $4 million from 195 screens—the biggest opening weekend ever for an animated film and the second-biggest opening ever for any film (behind Furious 7). Similarly, Chile also recorded the second-biggest animated opening ever with $1.7 million (behind Minions). Colombia also opened at No. 1 with a huge $1.5 million.[56] In Mexico, other than opening at No. 1, it posted the biggest original animated opening of all time with $7.6 million, surpassing the studio's own previous record holder Inside Out.[45] Also in Russia, it scored the biggest original animated opening and the second-biggest ever for an animated film behind Minions with $16.3 million, although this included $6.4 million five days' worth of previews.[47] It went on to become the highest-grossing film of the summer that year.[57] In Japan, the film opened on August 11—the date of Japan's first Mountain Day national holiday—with Toho-Towa distributing, and earned $4.6 million on 370,000 admissions for its two-day opening weekend dethroning Shin Godzilla off the top spot. The cumulative total for the four-day holiday (August 11–14) was $9.7 million.[19][58] Similarly, it had number-one debuts in Germany ($7.1 million), France ($5.9 million), Australia ($5.6 million), Italy ($5.1 million), Brazil ($4.4 million), Spain ($4.5 million), Poland ($1.7 million), Singapore ($1.3 million), Belgium ($1.2 million), Denmark ($1.2 million), Indonesia ($1.1 million), the Philippines ($1 million), and South Africa ($463,000). In Germany, it scored the best animation opening since Minions.[45][59][60][61][62][63][64][65] It topped the box office in Israel for five straight weekends and in Australia, Russia and Spain for three weekends.[45][47][61][63] In Japan, the film was the highest-grossing foreign release of the weekend, holding the top spot for four consecutive weekends.[60]

text: In China—the world's second-biggest film market—the film opened on a Tuesday, earning a modest $5.2 million on its opening day. To Sunday, it achieved a six-day opening of $29.3 million and $15.5 million for the weekend alone (Friday to Sunday), with per screen averages over $500 per screen per day. In both instances, it was behind the local film Time Raiders.[59][66][67] In South Korea, despite debuting in fifth place, it had an opening of $6.9 million.[59] Elsewhere, it grossed $2.7 million in the Netherlands, $1.2 million in Sweden and in Hungary, it scored the biggest opening of the year with $738,000,[59] and also in Portugal ($965,000), Latvia ($224,000),[47] and South Africa.[64]

text: In terms of total earnings, its biggest markets are China ($58 million), United Kingdom and Ireland ($47.2 million), Japan ($41.6 million) and Russia ($34.2 million).[19][47][68] It became the third-highest-grossing film of all time in Russia (behind Avatar and Zootopia)[61] and the highest-grossing film of 2016 in Spain.[20][62]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 75% based on 208 reviews with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Fast-paced, funny, and blessed with a talented voice cast, The Secret Life of Pets offers a beautifully animated, cheerfully undemanding family-friendly diversion."[69] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 61 out of 100 based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[70] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale.[71]

text: Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film three out of four stars and called it "an animated fluffball—a sort of Toy Story with pets does everything to drive you crazy and ends up being totally irresistible."[72] Scott Tobias, writing for NPR, characterized the film's concept as "Toy Story but with house pets," highlighting the film's "thinly distinguished characters" and "gloppy sentimentality."[73] Steven Rea of The Philadelphia Inquirer gave the film three out of four stars and said "In much the same way that the smash Zootopia demonstrated that creatures of different culture and class and species are better off when they come together, The Secret Life of Pets is a testament to teamwork and friendship and fixing the rifts that divide us. Let the fur—and the warm, fuzzy feelings—fly."[74]

text: However, some critics disliked the film's unexpected similarities with Pixar's Toy Story.[75] Matthew Parkinson of The Escapist compared the plots of both films and wrote that "The Secret Life of Pets feels like one of those hour-long ripoffs you'd see on a children's television network."[76] Ethan Anderton of the website /Film criticised the film's characterisation, and noted that the relationship between Max and Duke was akin to "Woody and Buzz Lightyear all over again."[77]

text: Accolades[edit]

text:
List of awards and nominations

Award
Date of ceremony
Category
Recipient(s)
Result
Ref(s)

Annie Awards
February 4, 2017
Outstanding Achievement, Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
Eric Guillon
Nominated
[78]

Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated Feature Production
Alexandre Desplat

British Academy Children's Awards
November 20, 2016
BAFTA Kids' Vote
The Secret Life of Pets
[79][80]

Cinema Audio Society
February 18, 2017
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Motion Picture – Animated
David Acord, Jason Butler, Gary A. Rizzo, Carlos Sotolongo and Frank Wolf
[81]

Hollywood Music in Media Awards
November 17, 2016
Best Original Score – Animated Film
Alexandre Desplat
Won
[82][83]

International Film Music Critics Association
21 February 2017
Best Original Score for a Comedy Film
Nominated
[84]

2017 Kids' Choice Awards
March 11, 2017
Favorite Animated Movie
The Secret Life of Pets
[85]

Favorite Voice From an Animated Movie
Kevin Hart

Favorite Villain
Won

Most Wanted Pet

NAACP Image Awards
February 11, 2017
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
Nominated
[86]

People's Choice Awards
January 18, 2017
Favorite Family Movie
The Secret Life of Pets
[87]

Favorite Animated Movie Voice
Kevin Hart

Producers Guild of America
January 28, 2017
Best Animated Motion Picture
Janet Healy and Chris Meledandri
[88]

text: Sequel[edit]

text: In August 2016, it was announced that there would be a sequel with director Chris Renaud, producers Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy, and writer Brian Lynch, with a release date of July 13, 2018.[89] On January 25, 2017, its release date was pushed back to July 3, 2019.[90] On August 15, 2017, its release date was moved forward to June 7, 2019.[6] On November 10, 2017, it was announced that Louis C.K. would not be reprising his role as Max after being accused of, and having admitted to, inappropriate sexual conduct with five women.[91] In April 2018, it was announced that Patton Oswalt will replace C.K. as Max while Hart, Stonestreet, Slate, Kemper, Bell, Carvey, Buress and Moynihan will return. Additional casting includes Tiffany Haddish, Nick Kroll, Pete Holmes and Harrison Ford.[92]


document_title: List of highest-grossing video game franchises

question_text: the most profitable video game of all time

text: List[edit]

text:
Franchise

Year of inception

Lifetime revenue

Revenue breakdown

Franchise owner(s)

Pokémon

1996

$59.1 billion (¥6 trillion) (as of 2017)[1][2] (including all media)

Japan retail – $4.369 billion[a]
Mobile games – $2.154 billion[b]

The Pokémon Company  Nintendo

Mario

1981

 est. $25.907 billion (as of 2018)

Super Mario – $13.974 billion[c]
Mario Kart – $5.153 billion[d]
Other Mario games – $6.78 billion[e]

Nintendo

Call of Duty

2003

 est. $16 billion (as of 2017)

2003–2016 – $15 billion[69]
2017 – $1 billion[70]

Activision  Activision Blizzard

Pac-Man

1980

 est. $14.098 billion (as of 2016)

Pac-Man – $12.81 billion[71]
Ms. Pac-Man – $1.2 billion[72]
Other games (US) – $88 million[f]

Namco  Bandai Namco Entertainment

Space Invaders

1978

$13.93 billion (as of 2016)[71]

Space Invaders – $13.93 billion[71]

Taito  Square Enix

Wii

2006

 est. $12.33 billion (as of 2016)

Wii Sports – $6.08 billion[71]
Wii Fit – $5 billion[51]
Wii Play – $1.25 billion[74]

Nintendo

Street Fighter

1987

 est. $11.279 billion (as of 2018)

Street Fighter II – $10.61 billion[71]
Street Fighter IV – $480 million[75]
Other games – $189 million[g]

Capcom

Dungeon Fighter Online

2005

 est. $10.523 billion (as of 2018)

2005–2017 – $10.3 billion[h][82]
March 2018 – $223 million[83]

Neople  Nexon

Warcraft

1994

 est. $10.015 billion (as of 2017)

World of Warcraft – $9.23 billion[71]
Hearthstone – $784.6 million[i]

Blizzard Entertainment  Activision Blizzard

Final Fantasy

1987

 est. $9.704 billion (as of 2018)

Main series – $8.831 billion[j]
Spin-offs – $873 million[k]

Square Enix

CrossFire

2007

 est. $9.3 billion (as of 2017)

2007–2015 – $6.8 billion[51]
2016 – $1.1 billion[137]
2017 – $1.4 billion[81]

Smilegate

Grand Theft Auto

1997

 est. $8.561 billion (as of 2018)

1997–2006 – $2.048 billion[l]
2008–2018 – $6.513 billion[m]

Rockstar Games  Take-Two Interactive

Lineage

1998

 est. $7.733 billion (as of 2017)

PC games – $6.295 billion[n]
Mobile games – $1.438 billion[o]

NCsoft

Donkey Kong

1981

 est. $6.366 billion (as of 2016)

Donkey Kong (1981) – $4.4 billion[51]
Donkey Kong Country – $1.743 billion[p]
Other games (Japan) – $223.4 million[q]

Nintendo

Sonic the Hedgehog

1991

 est. $6.228 billion (as of 2018)

Sonic the Hedgehog – $5.093 billion[r]
Mario & Sonic – $1.135 billion[s]

Sega

Puzzle & Dragons

2012

 est. $6.103 billion (as of 2017)

Mobile game – $6.02 billion[t]
Nintendo 3DS games – $83 million[u]

GungHo Online Entertainment

FIFA

1993

$6 billion (as of 2013)[169]

Electronic Arts

League of Legends

2009

 est. $5.69 billion (as of 2017)

2009–2016 – $3.59 billion[170]
2017 – $2.1 billion[81]

Tencent Games

Westward Journey

2001

 est. $5.55 billion (as of 2018)[v]

Mobile game – $2.006 billion[w]

NetEase

Pro Evolution Soccer

1995

 est. $5.474 billion (as of 2018)

Japan (2001–2014) – $1.175 billion[x]
Other sales – $4.299 billion[y]

Konami

Dragon Quest

1986

 est. $5.135 billion (as of 2017)

Japan retail – $5.135 billion[z]

Square Enix

Halo

2001

$5 billion (as of 2015)[181] (including all media)

Microsoft

Arena of Valor

2015

 est. $4.74 billion (as of 2018)

2016 – $1.61 billion[aa]
2017 – $2.671 billion[ab]
March–June 2018 – $459.2 million[ac]

Tencent Games

Monster Strike

2013

 est. $4.724 billion (as of 2018)

Mobile game – $4.688 million[ag]
Nintendo 3DS – $36 million[ah]

Mixi

Assassin's Creed

2007

 est. $4.091 billion (as of 2016)

2007–2016 – $4 billion[195]
2017 – $91 million[196]

Ubisoft

Madden NFL

1988

$4 billion (as of 2013)[197]

Electronic Arts

Need for Speed

1994

$4 billion (as of 2014)[198]

Electronic Arts

Candy Crush Saga

2012

$3.681 billion (as of 2017)

Candy Crush Saga – $3.141 billion[ai]
Candy Crush Soda Saga – $540 million[aj]

King

Dragon Ball video games

1986

 est. $3.6 billion (as of 2018)

Bandai/Namco – $2.972 billion[ak]
Atari – $419 million[al]
Shōnen Jump – $209.3 million[am]

Bandai  Bandai Namco Entertainment

Skylanders

2011

$3.5 billion (as of 2017)[227] (including all media)

Activision Blizzard

Resident Evil

1996

 est. $3.311 billion (as of 2018)

1996–2011 – $2.474 billion[an]
2012–2018 – $836.5 million[ao]

Capcom

The Legend of Zelda

1986

 est. $3.251 billion (as of 2018)

Zelda I & II (NES) – $501.5 million[ap]
Japan (1990–2018) – $786.1 million[aq]
Overseas (1991–2018) – $1.963 billion[ar]

Nintendo

Star Wars video games

1982

$3 billion (as of 2015)[279]

The Walt Disney Company

MapleStory

2003

 est. $2.981 billion (as of 2017)

2003–2011 – $1.8 billion[280]
2013–2017 – $1.181 billion[as]

Wizet  Nexon

Battlefield

2002

 est. $2.74 billion (as of 2017)

Battlefield 3 – $1.1 billion[at]
Battlefield 4 – $499.9 million[au]
Battlefield 1 – $1.14 billion[287]

Electronic Arts

Monster Hunter

2004

 est. $2.523 billion (as of 2018)

Japan (2004–2017) – $1.72 billion[av]
Overseas (2016–2017) – $60.5 million[aw]
Monster Hunter: World – $742.2 million[ax]

Capcom

Metal Gear

1987

 est. $2.513 billion (as of 2016)

Japan (1998–2016) – $512 million[ay]
Overseas (1987–2015) – $1.408 billion[az]
Other sales – $593.1 million[ba]

Konami

Gran Turismo

1997

$2.5 billion (as of 2013)[321]

Sony

The Sims

2000

$2.5 billion (as of 2010)[322]

2000–2007 – $1.2 billion[323]

Electronic Arts

Super Smash Bros.

1999

 est. $2.373 billion (as of 2016)

1999–2016 – $2.373 billion[bb]

Nintendo

Minecraft

2011

 est. $2.211 billion (as of 2018)

PC game – $755 million[bc]
Other platforms – $1.456 billion[bd]

Mojang

Fate/stay night

2004

 est. $2.086 billion (as of 2018)

Fate/Grand Order – $2 billion[340]
Other games – $86.3 million[be]

Type-Moon  Sony Music Entertainment Japan

Digimon

1997

 est. $2.01 billion (as of 2017) (including all media)

Console games (Japan) – $90.5 million[bf]
Digital pets – $424.1 million[bg]
Other media – $1.498 billion[bi]

Bandai Namco Holdings

Guitar Hero

2005

$2 billion (as of 2010)[376]

Activision Blizzard

Lego video games

1995

$2 billion (as of 2014)[377]

The Lego Group

Mortal Kombat

1992

 est. $1.878 billion (as of 2006)

Arcade games – $1.17 billion[378]
Console games – $708 million[bj]

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Onimusha

2001

 est. $1.798 billion (as of 2016)

PS2 games – $246 million[bk]
Arcade/Pachinko – $1.552 billion[383]

Capcom

Tetris

1984

 est. $1.631 billion (as of 2011)

Game Boy – $753 million[bl]
Mobile – $532 million[bm]
NES – $346 million[bn]

The Tetris Company  Blue Planet Software

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

2017

$1.5 billion (as of 2018)[391]

Bluehole

The Elder Scrolls

1994

$1.39 billion (as of 2015)[392]

Bethesda Softworks

One Piece video games

2000

 est. $1.351 billion (as of 2018)

2001–2012 – $459 million[bo]
2012–2018 – $892 million[bp]

Bandai  Bandai Namco Entertainment

Gundam video games

1983

 est. $1.124 billion (as of 2014)

Japan (2000–2007) – $691 million[bq]
Japan (2008–2012) – $370 million[br]
Japan (2013–2014) – $63 million[bs]

Bandai  Bandai Namco

Fortnite

2017

$1.2 billion (as of 2018)[398]

Epic Games

Tom Clancy's

1987

$1.2 billion (as of 2018)[399]

Ubisoft

Spider-Man video games

1982

$1 billion (as of 2004)[400]

Sony

Gears of War

2006

$1 billion (as of 2011)[401]

Microsoft

Forza

2005

$1 billion (as of 2017)[402]

Microsoft

Overwatch

2016

$1 billion (as of 2017)[403]

Activision Blizzard


document_title: Field of Dreams

question_text: who played kevin costners dad in field of dreams

text: Field of Dreams

text: Plot[edit]

text: Ray Kinsella is a novice Iowa farmer who lives with his wife, Annie, and daughter, Karin. In the opening narration, he explains how he had a troubled relationship with his father, John Kinsella, who had been a devoted baseball fan. While walking through his cornfield one evening, he hears a voice whispering, "If you build it, he will come." He continues hearing this before finally seeing a vision of a baseball diamond in his field. Annie is skeptical, but she allows him to plow the corn under in order to build a baseball field. As he builds, he tells Karin the story of the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. Months pass and nothing happens; his family faces financial ruin until, one night, Karin spots a uniformed man on the field. Ray recognizes him as Shoeless Joe Jackson, a deceased baseball player idolized by John. Thrilled to be able to play baseball again, he asks to bring others to the field to play. He later returns with the seven other players banned as a result of the 1919 scandal.

text: Ray's brother-in-law, Mark, can't see the players and warns him that he will go bankrupt unless he replants his corn. While in the field, Ray hears the voice again, this time urging him to "ease his pain."

text: Ray attends a PTA meeting at which the possible banning of books by radical author Terence Mann is discussed. He decides the voice was referring to Mann. He comes across a magazine interview dealing with Mann's childhood dream of playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. After Ray and Annie both dream about him and Mann attending a baseball game together at Fenway Park, he convinces her that he should seek out Mann. He heads to Boston and persuades a reluctant, embittered Mann to attend a game with him at Fenway Park. While there, he hears the voice again, this time urging him to "go the distance." At the same time, the scoreboard "shows" statistics for a player named Archibald "Moonlight" Graham, who played one game for the New York Giants in 1922, but never had a turn at bat. After the game, Mann eventually admits that he, too, saw it.

text: Ray and Mann then travel to Chisholm, Minnesota where they learn that Graham had become a doctor and had died sixteen years earlier. During a late night walk, Ray finds himself back in 1972 and encounters the then-living Graham, who states that he had moved on from his baseball career. He also says that the greater disappointment would have been not having a medical career. He declines Ray's invitation to fulfill his dream; however, during the drive back home, Ray picks up a young hitchhiker who introduces himself as Archie Graham. While Archie sleeps, Ray reveals to Mann that John had wanted him to live out his dream of being a baseball star. He stopped playing catch with him after reading one of Mann's books at 14. At 17, he had denounced Shoeless Joe as a criminal to John and that was the reason for the rift between them. Ray expresses regret that he didn't get a chance to make things right before John died. When they arrive back at Ray's farm, they find that enough players have arrived to field two teams. A game is played and Archie finally gets his turn at bat.

text: The next morning, Mark returns and demands that Ray sell the farm. Karin says that they will not need to because people will pay to watch the ballgames. Mann agrees, saying that "people will come" in order to relive their childhood innocence. Ray, after much thought, refuses and a frustrated Mark scuffles with him, during which Karin is accidentally knocked off the bleachers. The young Graham runs from the field to help, becoming old Graham, complete with Gladstone bag, the instant he steps off of it, and saves Karin from choking (she had been eating a hot dog when she fell). Ray realizes that Graham sacrificed his young self in order to save her. After reassuring Ray that his true calling was medicine and being commended by the other players, Graham leaves, disappearing into the corn. Suddenly, Mark is able to see the players and urges Ray not to sell the farm.

text: After the game, Shoeless Joe invites Mann to enter the corn; he accepts and disappears into it. Ray is angry at not being invited, but Shoeless Joe rebukes him: if he really wants a reward for having sacrificed so much, then he had better stay on the field. Shoeless Joe then glances towards a player at home plate, saying "If you build it, he will come." The player then removes his mask, and Ray recognizes him to be John as a young man. Shocked, Ray realizes that "ease his pain" referred to John, and believes that Shoeless Joe was the voice all along; however, Joe implies that the voice was Ray himself. Joe then disappears into the corn.

text: Ray introduces John to Annie and Karin. As he heads towards the corn, Ray asks him if he wants to play a game of catch. They begin to play and Annie happily watches. Meanwhile, hundreds of cars can be seen approaching the baseball field, fulfilling Karin and Mann's prophecy that people will come to watch baseball.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Kevin Costner as Ray Kinsella
Amy Madigan as Annie Kinsella
James Earl Jones as Terence Mann
Timothy Busfield as Mark
Kelly Coffield Park as Dee
Frank Whaley as Archie Graham
Gaby Hoffmann as Karin Kinsella
Dwier Brown as John Kinsella
Fern Persons as Annie's mother
Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe Jackson
Burt Lancaster as Archibald "Moonlight" Graham
Art LaFleur as Chick Gandil
Michael Milhoan as Buck Weaver
Steve Eastin as Eddie Cicotte
Charles Hoyes as Swede Risberg

text: Production[edit]

text: Phil Alden Robinson read Shoeless Joe in 1981 and liked it so much that he brought it to producers Lawrence Gordon and Charles Gordon. Lawrence Gordon worked for 20th Century Fox, part of the time as its president, and repeatedly mentioned that the book should be adapted into a film. The studio, however, always turned down the suggestion because they felt the project was too esoteric and noncommercial. Meanwhile, Robinson went ahead with his script, frequently consulting W. P. Kinsella, the book's author, for advice on the adaptation. Lawrence Gordon left Fox in 1986 and started pitching the adaptation to other studios. Universal Studios accepted the project in 1987 and hired USC coach Rod Dedeaux as baseball advisor. Dedeaux brought along World Series champion and USC alumnus Don Buford to coach the actors.[5]

text: The film was shot using the novel's title; eventually, an executive decision was made to rename it Field of Dreams. Robinson did not like the idea saying he loved Shoeless Joe, and that the new title was better suited for one about dreams deferred. Later, Kinsella told Robinson that his originally chosen title for the book had been The Dream Field and that the title Shoeless Joe had been imposed by the publisher.[6]

text: Casting[edit]

text: Robinson and the producers did not originally consider Kevin Costner for the part of Ray because they did not think that he would want to follow Bull Durham with another baseball film. He, however, did end up reading the script and became interested in the project, stating that he felt it would be "this generation's It's a Wonderful Life". Since Robinson's directing debut In the Mood had been a commercial failure, Costner also said that he would help him with the production. Amy Madigan, a fan of the book, joined the cast as Ray's wife, Annie. In the book, the writer Ray seeks out is real-life author J.D. Salinger. When Salinger threatened the production with a lawsuit if his name was used, Robinson decided to rewrite the character as reclusive Terence Mann. He wrote with James Earl Jones in mind because he thought it would be fun to see Ray trying to kidnap such a big man. Robinson had originally envisioned Shoeless Joe Jackson as being played by an actor in his 40s, someone who would be older than Costner and who could thereby act as a father surrogate. Ray Liotta did not fit that criterion, but Robinson thought he would be a better fit for the part because he had the "sense of danger" and ambiguity which Robinson wanted in the character. Burt Lancaster had originally turned down the part of Moonlight Graham, but changed his mind after a friend, who was also a baseball fan, told him that he had to work on the film.[5]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Filming began on May 25, 1988. The shooting schedule was built around Costner's availability because he would be leaving in August to film Revenge. Except for some weather delays and other time constraints, production rolled six days a week. The interior scenes were the first ones shot because the cornfield planted by the filmmakers was taking too long to grow. Irrigation had to be used to quickly grow the corn to Costner's height. Primary shot locations were in Dubuque County, Iowa; a farm near Dyersville was used for the Kinsella home; an empty warehouse in Dubuque was used to build various interior sets. Galena, Illinois served as Moonlight Graham's Chisholm, Minnesota.[5] One week was spent on location shots in Boston, most notably Fenway Park.[7]

text: Robinson, despite having a sufficient budget as well as the cast and crew he wanted, constantly felt tense and depressed during filming. He felt that he was under too much pressure to create an outstanding film, and that he was not doing justice to the original novel. Lawrence Gordon convinced him that the end product would be effective.[5]

text: During a lunch with the Iowa Chamber of Commerce, Robinson broached his idea of a final scene in which headlights could be seen for miles along the horizon. The Chamber folks replied that it could be done and the shooting of the final scene became a community event. The film crew was hidden on the farm to make sure the aerial shots did not reveal them. Dyersville was then blacked out and local extras drove their vehicles to the field. In order to give the illusion of movement, the drivers were instructed to continuously switch between their low and high beams.

text: Field[edit]

text: Scenes of the Kinsella farm were taken on the property of Don Lansing; some of the baseball field scenes were shot on the neighboring farm of Al Ameskamp. Because the shooting schedule was too short for grass to naturally grow, the experts on sod laying responsible for Dodger Stadium and the Rose Bowl were hired to create the baseball field. Part of the process involved painting the turf green. [5]

text: After shooting, Ameskamp again grew corn on his property; Lansing maintained his as a tourist destination.[5] He did not charge for admission or parking, deriving revenue solely from the souvenir shop. By the film's twentieth anniversary, approximately 65,000 people visited annually.[8] In July, 2010, the farm containing the "Field" was listed as for sale.[9] It was sold on October 31, 2011, to Go The Distance Baseball, LLC, for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around $5.4 million.[10]

text: Music[edit]

text: At first, James Horner was unsure if he could work on the film due to scheduling restrictions. Then he watched a rough cut and was so moved that he accepted the job of scoring it. Robinson had created a temp track which was disliked by Universal executives. When the announcement of Horner as composer was made, they felt more positive because they expected a big orchestral score, similar to Horner's work for An American Tail. Horner, in contrast, liked the temporary score, finding it "quiet and kind of ghostly." He decided to follow the idea of the temp track, creating an atmospheric soundtrack which would "focus on the emotions".[5] In addition to Horner's score, portions of several pop songs are heard during the film. They are listed in the following order in the closing credits:

text:
"Crazy", written by Willie Nelson and performed by Beverly D'Angelo
"Daydream", written by John Sebastian and performed by The Lovin' Spoonful
"Jessica", written by Dickey Betts and performed by The Allman Brothers Band
"China Grove", written by Tom Johnston and performed by The Doobie Brothers
"Lotus Blossom", written by Billy Strayhorn and performed by Duke Ellington

text: Historical connections[edit]

text: The character played by Burt Lancaster and Frank Whaley, Archibald "Moonlight" Graham, is based on an actual baseball player with the same name. His character is largely true to life except for a few factual liberties taken for artistic reasons. For instance, the real Graham's lone major league game occurred in June 1905,[11] rather than on the final day of the 1922 season. The real Graham also died in 1965, as opposed to 1972 as the film depicts. In the film, Terence Mann interviews a number of people about Graham. The DVD special points out that the facts they gave him were taken from articles written about the real one.

text: Release and reception[edit]

text: This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2017)

text: Universal scheduled the film to open in the U.S. on April 21, 1989.It debuted in just a few theaters and was gradually released to more screens so that it would have a spot among the summer blockbusters. It ended up playing until December.[5]

text: As of June 2017, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes rates the film 86%, based on 57 reviews with an average score of 7.9 out of 10. The consensus states: "Field of Dreams is sentimental, but in the best way; it's a mix of fairy tale, baseball, and family togetherness."[12]

text: Honors[edit]

text: In June 2008, after having polled over 1,500 people in the creative community, AFI revealed its "Ten Top Ten" — the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres. The film was acknowledged as the sixth best one in the fantasy genre.[13][14]

text:
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies—nominated[15]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes:

"If you build it, he will come."—#39

AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores—nominated[16]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers—#28
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)—nominated[17]
AFI's 10 Top 10—#6 Fantasy Film