Free Seats at the Opera House: BAM's Annual Tribute
You will want to be in Downtown Brooklyn on MLK Day well before the doors open. The Brooklyn Academy of Music's Annual Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has run for four decades, and the centerpiece is a free, first-come-first-served evening at the Howard Gilman Opera House in the Peter Jay Sharp Building. Tickets are distributed starting at 5:30pm in the Opera House lobby for the 7pm program; an RSVP does not guarantee entry, so arriving early is the practical move.
The main program is a dramatic reading of King's "The Drum Major Instinct," presented by Theater of War Productions and BAM, composed and arranged by Phil Woodmore and directed by Bryan Doerries. Readers have included Jeffrey Wright, Zohran Mamdani, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg and Jumaane Williams, with a gospel choir accompanying and a facilitated audience discussion afterward. The evening also features Grace by Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, the Brooklyn-based company founded in 1985 that merges traditional African dance with contemporary choreography and spoken word, and music from The Fire Ensemble, an intergenerational pop-up choir led by Troy Anthony. Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign, speaks, as does youth speaker Aponi Kafele, a BAM Education participant and senior at Essex Street Academy.
Sing in the Choir, Then Walk the District
The Fire Ensemble is not a closed stage act. Five community rehearsals are held at BAM in The Adam Space in the weeks before the holiday — Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 6–8pm in early and mid-January, and a Sunday rehearsal from 5–8pm the day before the event. To perform on MLK Day, singers attend at least three rehearsals, including the final Sunday. The choir is open to all, non-performers included, and sign-up is required. Check BAM's page for the current season's rehearsal calendar before you commit.
The rest of the day fills the surrounding Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District. A free 1pm screening of Just Mercy runs at BAM Rose Cinemas. The Brooklyn Music School's intergenerational choir performs on the steps of the Peter Jay Sharp Building — the school, founded in 1910 and chartered by SUNY in 1912, owns a four-story brownstone in the district with a 266-seat Spanish-style theatre. BAMkids family activities run in The Adam Space. Health protocols follow New York State regulations.
When to Go and What to Expect
- The date moves. The tribute is held on MLK Day itself — January 19 in the most recent cycle documented — so confirm the year's date against the federal holiday before booking travel.
- Afternoon: the 1pm Just Mercy screening, Brooklyn Music School on the Sharp Building steps, BAMkids activities.
- Late afternoon: queue in the Opera House lobby from 5:30pm for free evening tickets.
- Evening: the 7pm program of readings, dance and choral music, followed by audience discussion.
- Weather: mid-January in Brooklyn is cold; the steps performance and any queuing happen outdoors, so dress for it.
Make a Day of It in the Cultural District
BAM sits at the heart of the Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District, so you can build the whole holiday around a short walk: the Peter Jay Sharp Building, the Howard Gilman Opera House, BAM Rose Cinemas and The Adam Space are all in the same cluster. Plan the rehearsal schedule first if you intend to sing, then bracket the day with the 1pm film and the 7pm program. Sponsors of the tribute have included Citizens as lead sponsor, alongside the Jerome L. Greene Foundation and the Thompson Family Foundation.
Start Planning
Mark MLK Day on your calendar, check BAM's tribute page for the confirmed date and rehearsal times, sign up for The Fire Ensemble if you want to sing, and plan to be in Downtown Brooklyn by early afternoon. Arrive early for the free Opera House seats — that is the one thing the crowd will not let you do twice.