CORBIS (AMSTERDAM); GETTY IMAGES (SUÁREZ, LONDON, ABBA)
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
•
JANUARY 2013
75
THE FEST TEST
This year, two of Europe’s most illustrious cities are set to have what can
only be described as an anniversary-off. For both Amsterdam and London,
2013
will involve a preposterous number of red-letter days, all
of them celebrated in lavish style (or at least
some
sort of style).
To determine who will prevail in the Battle of the Milestones,
we devised a stringent scientific survey, reproduced here.
NEWORLEANS
THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN
OF A SOUTHERN BELLE
When the Saenger Theatre
opened in 1927, patrons
celebrated with a parade. As
the years passed, it was neglected,
then revived, then devastated by
Hurricane Katrina. Now it’s back,
thanks to a $52 million renovation
that’s restored such distinctive
features as an LED depiction of the
night sky on the theater ceiling. A
stage house expansion will allow
for larger productions; a new
restaurant is set to open as well.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
WINNER: TYKES, ALL
Closed since 2004—or
for
ever
ago, in kid years—
the only national museum
dedicated to America’s youngest
citizens has returned at last. The
National Children’s Museum
debuted this winter in its new
space in scenic National Harbor,
and ups the ante in 2014 with the
opening of a 60,000-square-foot
outdoor learning and play area.
Bonus for Big Bird fans: The
museum has taken on Sesame
Workshop as a “creative tenant.”
LOS ANGELES
BEVERLY HILLS SETS THE STAGE
Ever since Fairbanks and
Pickford ruled Hollywood,
the city’s most famous
faces have lived in Beverly Hills.
Yet, oddly enough, the city has
long lacked its own performing
arts facility. That changes this fall
with theWallis Annenberg Center,
which will include a 500-seat
theater and a sculpture garden. The
adjoining Beverly Hills post office,
built in 1933, is also being made
over into a café and classroom
space for the stars of tomorrow.
AMSTERDAM
LONDON
FINAL TALLY: 2-2 ... AWELL-EARNED TIE.
WINNER:
LONDON. YOU SIMPLY CANNOT TOP A DISUSED SUBWAY STATION.
400
years since:
The establishment of the
city’s canals—165 in all, totaling more than
60
miles—which were awarded UNESCO
World Heritage status in 2010.
Celebrations include:
Queen’s Day, in which
barges will be festooned in orange (the royal
color) and orange-clad people will dance
atop 1,500 canal-spanning bridges.
INFRASTRUCTURE
150
years since:
The debut of the Tube,
the world’s first subway system, which has
almost 250 miles of track and plunges to 220
feet below ground at its deepest point.
Celebrations include:
A series of
commemorative posters designed by leading
artists, and theatrical performances at
the disused Aldwych station.
150
years since:
Slavery, an abhorrent
practice in which the Dutch played a key role,
was abolished by the Netherlands.
Celebrations include:
Slavery-themed
photography exhibitions,
theater performances and lectures.
WINNER:
AMSTERDAM. SOME CRIMES ARE BIGGER THAN OTHERS.
HISTORICAL INFAMY
125
years since:
Jack the Ripper went
on a bloody rampage across London, breeding
terror on the streets and inspiring hundreds
of dodgy conspiracy theories.
Celebrations include:
Special Jack the Ripper
walks, in which people are invited to follow
in the madman’s footsteps.
125
years since:
The opening of the
Concertgebouw, Amsterdam’s grand
concert hall, renowned for having some of
the best acoustics on earth.
Celebrations include:
An “enormous range”
of events, including the Digital Concert-
gebouw Project, which will broadcast
concerts at venues around the city.
WINNER:
LONDON. IF ONLY BECAUSE WE CAN’T PRONOUNCE “CONCERTGEBOUW.”
CULTURAL REDOUBTS
50
years since:
The founding of the National
Theatre, counterpart to the Royal Shake-
speare Company; opening night saw Peter
O’Toole playing the lead in
Hamlet
.
Celebrations include:
A permanent
exhibit outlining the theater’s history,
and a production of
Othello
starring
TV actor Adrian Lester.
175
years since:
The debut of Artis Royal
Zoo, the oldest zoo in the Netherlands,
which boasts more than 6,000 animals
representing 900-plus species.
Celebrations include:
A series of
in-zoo “entertainments” every
Saturday evening.
WINNER:
AMSTERDAM. THE WORLDMIGHT BE JUST A BIT QUEENED OUT.
EXOTIC CREATURES
60
years since:
Queen Elizabeth II’s corona-
tion—not to be confused with last year’s
Diamond Jubilee, which marked 60 years
since Lizzie ascended the throne.
Celebrations include:
Not much, given the
fuss made over QE2 in 2012. Mainly endless
loops of the first-ever televised coronation.
STOCKHOLM
DISCO LIVES
You can dance, you can jive,
you can immerse yourself
in the history of Sweden’s
greatest pop group and have the
time of your life. Opening this
spring, ABBA the Museumwill
delight dancing queens and kings
with original tour instruments,
interactive exhibits, and glittery
platform boots and bright-as-the-
sun jumpsuits.
11-12
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