A crowd of more than 16,000 welcomed the New York Philharmonic to the Catskills and celebrated the opening of Sullivan County's Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. The amphitheatre opened on July 1 to a sell-out audience and excellent weather on the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival in Bethel, about 30 miles west of Ellenville. The Gerry Foundation, led by philanthropist and cable television magnate Alan Gerry, spent two years and $70 million transforming the 1700-acre campus into a state-of-the-art concert facility.

Gerry began the evening with a humble speech thanking the audience for its support during the fundraising campaign and construction. “This is a very special evening,” said Gerry. “It's the effort of 23 months, a turning point in our community.”

Bethel Woods subscriber Jack Siegel of Ellenville decided to support the project months ago, after reading about the project. “We are tremendously enthused,” he said. “The accomplishment of Alan Gerry is remarkable. He did an awfully impressive job with the complex.”

In his opening-night remarks, Gerry also said that after nearly two years of construction, Bethel Woods opened on time, due to the diligence of the local workforce. Many of the workers attended the concert as guests of the Gerry Foundation.

Concert attendees followed Bethel Woods' brick paths from the parking lots to the amphitheatre for their first view of the new copper-covered pavilion, which houses 4,800 seats. Outside, the center lives up to its promise of “flawless sight lines” for 12,000 lawn seats. Thanks to the hill overlooking the pavilion, even the seats atop the hill have a full view of the stage. In addition, giant video screens on stage ensure that the entire audience saw the action.

The New York Philharmonic, led by conductor Bramwell Tovey, played a two-hour show, including Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, punctuated with actual cannon shots. In the second half of the concert, soprano Audra MacDonald joined the orchestra for a series of Gershwin and Bernstein showtunes. Standing in for ailing prodigy Lang Lang, pianist Alexander Kobrin was featured playing a Rachmaninoff piano concerto. As a nod to Woodstock's heritage, as a surprise encore, the orchestra played an arrangement of the Jimi Hendrix classic “Purple Haze”.

Celebrating Independence Day three days early, the orchestra closed the concert with the march “Stars and Stripes Forever”, leading into a post-concert firework show.

Siegel said he was “blown away” by the evening's lineup. “It was one of the best nights of entertainment in my life. The seats were comfortable, the acoustics were incredible, and it was great to be in a truly world-class venue.”

Bethel Woods promises to bring world class shows to the Catskills, on par with the outdoor entertainment found at other regional facilities like Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs and Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass. SPAC and Tanglewood have both fueled regional tourism, and Bethel Woods could have a similar effect on the Ellenville area, said Ellenville village manager Elliott Auerbach.

“We are one of the gateways into Bethel Woods,” said Auerbach. “We work hand in hand with this. We're definitely going to benefit.”

Auerbach said he had spoken with Bethel organizers before the opening. “They asked about our restaurants and hotels. We will experience a dramatic economic boost from the Woods.”

The Gerry Foundation has already announced plans to expand in the 2007 season with a smaller, 700-seat amphitheatre and a gallery dedicated to preserving the legacy of Woodstock and the 1960s.

Bethel Woods' inaugural season has continued with concerts including performances by pop star Ashlee Simpson on July 8 and a July 9 concert featuring the Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh and former Phish members Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon. The season also includes concerts with Brad Paisley and Eric Church (July 28), the Goo Goo Dolls and Counting Crows (August 9), Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (August 13), the Boston Pops (August 26), and all-star jazz festival on July 22 and 23, including George Benson, Wynton Marsalis, and Dianna Reeves.

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