Lower Manhattan near the original site of the Twin Towers has completely transformed in the almost 23 years that have passed since September 11, 2001. I have written before about the Oculus and One World Trade, but was happy this summer to visit the Perelman Performing Arts Center, a new space for the performing arts.

The center is nestled in the shadow of One World Trade, across from the reflecting pools and the 9/11 Museum.

The building was designed by REX, an acclaimed architecture and design firm based in New York City, whose name signifies a re-appraisal (RE) of architecture (X). There are three potential performance spaces, and all are designed with flexibility in layout, depending on the needs of any production. I was there to see a reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long-running feline musical as Cats: The Jellicle Ball (only there until August 11, and it is SOLD OUT – but you could keep checking the website, or go by the box office before a show to wait for returned tickets. I also hear this may transfer to Broadway after a series of rave reviews . . . ). Setting the musical within a new frame of NYC Ballroom culture works brilliantly, and the production is a lot of fun.

Public spaces are cool and visually arresting.

Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelson of Red Rooster fame has a new restaurant in the space, called Metropolis. We dined there before seeing Cats and I would definitely go back. I personally believe it is even worth a reservation even if you aren’t seeing a show at the PAC. If you do have tickets at the PAC, you are allowed access to reservations for your date before they open to the general public, which is a definite plus.

The cocktails at Metropolis were excellent and the bar looked like a great place to stop off and have a bite and a drink if you don’t want a full sit-down meal.

I don’t generally post a photo of the bathroom, but this one was cool – when you lock the stall, a red light goes on, so when you go in you can quickly look up and find a green light to know which stalls are available.

For Cats, the main performance arts area was set up with a catwalk (ha) with cabaret tables around it, elevated side seating, and more traditional seating behind the judge’s table where André De Shields sat as Old Deuteronomy. I look forward to seeing what programming is presented at PAC for decades to come.

As I exited PAC, the joyous music and dance of the performance I had just enjoyed still reverberated in my body even as I immediately faced the reflecting pools on the former footprints of One and Two World Trade. As I said in my post about the Oculus, for many years after 9/11, I completely avoided that area as I found the loss there overwhelming. But the area is now revitalized, while still holding that loss in memory via the reflection pools and the 9/11 Museum. Having a new performing arts center there now brings even more light and life to this area that, after unimaginable tragedy, has been reborn in the past two decades.