| Foxwoods Theatre | |
|---|---|
 43rd Street entrance |
|
| Address | 213 W. 42nd St., New York City, NY |
| Country | USA |
| Architect | Richard Blinder Peter Kofman |
| Owned by | New 42nd Street[1] |
| Operated by | Ambassador Theatre Group[1] |
| Capacity | 1,930 |
| Type | Broadway theatre |
| Opened | January 18, 1998 |
| Years active | 1998–Present |
| Rebuilt | 1998 |
| Previous names | Apollo Theatre, Lyric Theatre (predecessors) Ford Center for the Performing Arts, Hilton Theatre |
| Production | Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark |
The Foxwoods Theatre (formerly the "Hilton Theatre" and "Ford Center for the Performing Arts") is a Broadway theatre located at 213 West 42nd Street in Manhattan. The venue has a seating capacity of 1,930 making it and the Gershwin Theatre as the two largest Broadway venues.[2]
Contents |
History [edit]
The theatre was built in 1996–98 on the site of the former Apollo and Lyric Theatres. The Lyric was built in 1903 and hosted Shakespeare plays and such notable new shows as Cole Porter's Fifty Million Frenchmen, until it was converted to a movie theatre in 1934. The Apollo, constructed in 1920 by the Selwyn Brothers to a design by Eugene De Rosa, housed the Gershwin musicals Strike Up the Band and George White's Scandals, among other works, but was also turned into a film venue by the early 1930s. A brief return to use as a legitimate theatre in the late 1970s proved unsuccessful, and the venue ended its existence as a nightclub.
By the early 1990s, after being neglected and falling into serious disrepair, both theatres were condemned. They were among the 42nd Street theatres repossessed by the City and State of New York in 1990, and fell under the protection of the New 42nd Street organization in 1992. In 1996, the theatres were leased by Livent and demolished.[3] However, certain major architectural elements and structures were protected under landmark status; these were carefully removed from the buildings, stored, and incorporated into the new theatre. Today, patrons visiting the theatre sit under the dome from the Lyric and proscenium arch from the Apollo, and pass through the ornate Lyric Theatre facades on 43rd and 42nd Streets. Above the 43rd street entrance, on the 2nd floor, can be seen the busts of W. S. Gilbert, Arthur Sullivan and Reginald De Koven; the Lyric Theatre was intended to house De Koven's works.[4]
The theatre opened as the Ford Center for the Performing Arts[5] on January 26, 1998 with a musical version of E.L. Doctorow's Ragtime. In 2005, the venue was completely renovated and renamed the Hilton[6] for the US premiere of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.[7]
After the closing of Young Frankenstein on January 4, 2009, the theatre was vacant throughout 2009. The production of the new musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark was anticipated to open in December 2010, but problems in financing the record-setting budget of the show (estimated at $65 million), and technical issues, postponed the opening.[8][9] After securing funding, Spider-Man officially opened on June 14, 2011 following seven months of preview performances.[10]
The theatre was renamed the "Foxwoods Theatre" in August 2010, under an agreement with Foxwoods Resort Casino and Live Nation.[11]
On May 20, 2013 it was announced that the UK-based Ambassador Theatre Group had acquired the lease to the Foxwoods Theatre for about $60 million. This will likely lead to the theatre being renamed again. The New 42nd Street nonprofit organization will remain as the landlord.[1]
Productions [edit]
- 1998: Ragtime[12]
- 2000: Jesus Christ Superstar[13]
- 2001: 42nd Street[14]
- 2005: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang[7]
- 2006: Hot Feet;[15] Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas![16]
- 2007: The Pirate Queen;[17] Young Frankenstein[18]
- 2010: Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark[19]
Box Office Record [edit]
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Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark achieved the box office record for the Foxwoods Theatre (and the record for the highest single-week gross of any show in Broadway history).[20] The production grossed $2,941,790.20 over nine performances at 100.02% capacity for the week ending January 1, 2012.[21]
References [edit]
- ^ a b c Kennedy, Mark (May 20, 2013). "Lease to Broadway's biggest theater sold". Yahoo! News. The Associated Press. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
- ^ "U2's Spider-Man musical breaks Broadway box office records". radiotimes.com. Radio Times. 5 January 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ Marks, Peter."Turning Two Historic Theaters Into One Big One"New York Times, January 17, 1996
- ^ Morrison, William (1999). Broadway Theatres: History and Architecture (trade paperback). Dover Books on Architecture. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications. pp. 36–37. ISBN 0-486-40244-4.
- ^ Dunlap, David W."Ford to Sponsor New Theater on 42d Street"New York Times, January 29, 1997
- ^ "Foxwoods Theatre". ibdb.com. Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ a b "Ford Center for the Performing Arts to Be Renamed in 2005". playbill.com. Playbill. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ Fung, Lisa. "'Spider-Man' musical sets 2010 Broadway opening date". Los Angeles Times. February 24, 2009.
- ^ Healy, Patrick. "Costly ‘Spider-Man’ Can’t Get Off the Ground". The New York Times. November 5, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
- ^ Healy, Patrick (March 9, 2011). ""Precipitous Fall for "Spider-Man Director". New York Times. Retrieved March 11, 2011.
- ^ BWW News Desk."Broadway's Hilton Theatre to Be Renamed as Foxwoods Theatre" broadwayworld.com, August 9, 2010
- ^ "Ragtime". guidetomusicaltheatre.com. The Guide To Musical Theatre. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ "No Resurrection: Jesus Christ Superstar Closes Sept. 3". playbill.com. Playbill. 28 June 2000. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ "Ford Center for the Performing Arts". nytix.com. New York Tix. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ "Hot Feet". newyorkcitytheatre.com. New York City Theatre. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ "How The Grinch Stole Christmas". newyorkcitytheatre.com. New York City Theatre. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ "The Pirate Queen". newyorkcitytheatre.com. New York City Theatre. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ "Young Frankenstein: Struggling to come back to life". telegraph.co.uk. The Daily Telegraph. 9 November 2007. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Foxwoods Theatre, New York, review". telegraph.co.uk. The Telegraph. 15 June 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ "Spider-Man musical makes Broadway history". bbc.co.uk. BBC. 5 January 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
- ^ [1], Broadwayworld.com
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Foxwoods Theatre |
- Broadway Theatres: History and Architecture, William Morrison, 1999, Dover Publications, ISBN 0-486-40244-4
- Lost Broadway Theatres, Nicholas Van Hoogstraten, Princeton Architectural Press, 1997, ISBN 1-56898-116-3
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Coordinates: 40°45′24″N 73°59′16″W / 40.75667°N 73.98778°W
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