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| Stadium Architect Kenneth Murchison's great-granddaughter Lynne de Wardener-Burris and great great-granddaughter Skye Burris |
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| Zac Brown Band, Courtesy of Zac Brown Band website |
Act Two at the iconic Forest Hills
Tennis Stadium! On June 21, the summer will begin with high notes as the three-time
Grammy winner and Multi-Platinum Zac Brown Band will take the stadium stage,
and open the summer 2014 concert series. Other great names headlining today’s
entertainment will soon be announced.
On June 21, doors will open at 5 PM for a 6 PM show, and as the sun sets
somewhat later that evening, the audience will be left with an impression for
concerts to come. Tickets will be available on March 22 at 10 AM through
Ticketfly.com. America’s first concrete tennis stadium, dating to 1923, has
undergone restoration work in addition to some renovations, which include ticketed
seating, improved ADA seating, widened aisles, handrails, and easier access to food,
beverages, and other accommodations. The public can now bookmark a new website,
www.foresthillsstadium.com.
In August 2013, U.K. folk rock band Mumford
& Sons, along with opening bands Bear’s Den and The Vaccines marked a new
chapter of Forest Hills history by entertaining 17,000 fans in a stadium that
was nearly sold for a condo just 3 summers earlier.
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| Mumford & Sons plays Forest Hills! Courtesy of Michael Perlman, Rego-Forest Preservation Council |
Mumford & Sons became the first major
musical act at the stadium since the 1980s, which not only attracted new fans,
but struck a chord for patrons who recalled the annual Forest Hills Music
Festivals of the 1960s through the early 1980s. Forty-nine years to the day,
The Beatles delivered a legendary performance. Memorable summers also featured
music greats including Frank Sinatra, Donna Summer, Bob Dylan, Barbra
Streisand, and the Rolling Stones.
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| Frank Sinatra about to go on stage with Count Basie at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium's Summer 1965 Music Festival, Photo courtesy of Robert Rauschenbach |
Some fans also recalled pivotal moments in
tennis history, such as those witnessed during the U.S. Open prior to 1978, or
when Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson broke racial color barriers. Others
reminisced the stadium’s cinematic role in “Strangers On A Train,” where Alfred
Hitchcock filmed Davis Cup matches between Australia and the United States.
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| "America's Tennis Stadium" ad, published in MIT's "The Technology Review" in 1922, Courtesy of Rego-Forest Preservation Council |
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| Architect Kenneth Murchison, Courtesy of Pati de Wardener |
Jodi Kass-Tracten now resides in Redding, Connecticut, but will
never forget Forest Hills. “In the mid-1960s, the night that Sammy Davis Jr.
performed was magical. The air was crisp and the place was packed. He sang for
hours, and then of course no one wanted him to leave, so he sang some more.”
She continued, “It’s still such an elegant place, and I'm thrilled that the
Stadium has reopened for concerts.”
“My mother knew my sister
and I were Beatles fans, so she bought us tickets in the summer of 1964,” said
Las Vegas resident Judith Becker. She explained, “I can vividly
remember everyone’s excitement, as they looked up to see their helicopter arriving
and landing on the grass courts. I spent my teenage years seeing concerts with
friends, and I remember sneaking in through a hole in the fence.” In closing
remarks, she added, “I haven't been back to Forest Hills for many years, but I
would sure go back to see a concert at the Forest Hills Stadium, a beautiful
and intimate venue.”
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| The audience at Mumford & Sons, August 28, 2013 photo courtesy of Michael Perlman, Rego-Forest Preservation Council |
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| America's first concrete tennis stadium, Courtesy of Michael Perlman, Rego-Forest Preservation Council |
A similar edition of this feature appeared in Michael Perlman's Forest Hills Times column: http://www.foresthillstimes.com/view/full_story/24773509/article-Zac-Brown-to-kick-off-summer-in-Forest-Hills
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