VIDEO: Broadway Legend Joel Grey Stops In to Celebrate Bryant Park Day!

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This afternoon, Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Tony Award winner Joel Grey, (standing in for Mayor Adams), presented a proclamation from New York City to declare May 11, 2022 "Bryant Park Day," to celebrate Bryant Park's 30th anniversary of reopening in 1992.

The presentation was followed by a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to officially open the Bryant Park lawn for the season, with a special performance by the Bryant Park Big Band, HONK NYC!

Bryant Park President Dan Biederman began the day with a speech on the history and importance of the park to New York City, followed by Tony Award Winner and Broadway Legend Brian Stokes Mitchell speaking to the significance of the park to arts and entertainment. Tony Award Nominee Jennifer Simard was also in attendance to celebrate the day.

This spring marks the 30th anniversary of Bryant Park's 1992 reopening after an extensive redesign and revitalization. Through Bryant Park Corporation's commitment to revitalizing Midtown Manhattan, the park has evolved into an urban oasis that is home to a lush lawn and extensive plantings and many free activities like games, fitness classes, and literary discussions. Much of Bryant Park Corporation's success is a result of its vigilant care and robust year-round programming including iconic, world-class events and experiences such as Movie Nights, Picnic Performances, and Bank of America Winter Village. Celebrations for the park's 30-year milestone will continue throughout the spring and summer months for locals and tourists to enjoy.

Bryant Park Corporation (BPC) is a not-for-profit, private management company founded in 1980 to renovate and operate Bryant Park in New York City. It was established by Daniel A. Biederman and Andrew Heiskell, with support from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. BPC was formed to restore historic Bryant Park, which had suffered a severe decline in conditions in the 1970s. A 15-year agreement was signed in 1988, entrusting management and improvements to BPC. The park reopened in 1992 after four years of renovation with a budget six times the level under prior city management. It is the largest effort in the nation to apply private management backed by private funding to a public park, and it has been a success with public, press, and nearby institutions. BPC shares its management team with the 34th Street Partnership. The two companies share a management philosophy.