"A New Deal For Broadway" abolishes all-white creative teams; includes commitments from Shubert, Nederlander, Jujamcyn to each rename theatres after a Black Artist

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 2:21pm

NYTimes article: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/23/theater/broadway-diversity-pledge-reopening.html?smid=tw-share

 

The full document: https://www.blacktheatreunited.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/BTU-New-Deal-For-Broadway.pdf

 

Which theatres do we think will be renamed, and who should they be renamed after?

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 2:40pm

Jujamcyn already has the August Wilson, and I would like to see the Shubert and Nederlander themselves be renamed for a black artist.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 2:45pm

A few renaming ideas:

– The Davis-Dee Theatre (named for Ruby Dee & Ossie Davis)

– The Paul Robeson Theatre

– The Langston Hughes Theatre

– The Josephine Baker Theatre

– The Cicely Tyson Theatre

– The James Earl Jones Theatre

– The George C. Wolfe Theatre (the most Tony-nominated Black artist ever)

– The Pearl Bailey Theatre

– The Lloyd Richards Theatre

– The Eubie Blake Theatre

– The Lorraine Hansberry Theatre

– The Geoffrey Holder Theatre

– The Vinnette Carroll Theatre

– The Audra McDonald Theatre (she's young, but weirder things have happened!)

 

Here are the houses from those 3 theatre owners that are not already named for a PERSON. Wouldn't necessarily be limited to this list, since there are others (like the Cort and Booth) named for long-dead people...

Ambassador (Shubert)

Broadway Theatre (Shubert)

Imperial Theatre (Shubert)

Lyceum Theatre (Shubert)

Majestic Theatre (Shubert)

Marquis Theatre (Nederlander)

Music Box Theatre (Shubert)

Palace Theatre (Nederlander)

St. James Theatre (Jujamcyn)

Winter Garden Theatre (Shubert)

Updated On: 8/23/21 at 02:45 PM

[JSquared2]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 2:49pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "A few renaming ideas:

– The Davis-Dee Theatre (named for Ruby Dee & Ossie Davis)

– The Paul Robeson Theatre

– The Langston Hughes Theatre

– The Pearl Bailey Theatre

– The Lloyd Richards Theatre

– The Eubie Blake Theatre

– The Audra McDonald Theatre (she's young, but weirder things have happened!)



Here are the houses from those 3 theatre owners that are not already named for a PERSON. Wouldn't necessarily be limited to this list, since there are others (like the Cort and Booth) named for long-dead people...

Ambassador (Shubert)

Broadway Theatre (Shubert)

Imperial Theatre (Shubert)

Lyceum Theatre (Shubert)

Majestic Theatre (Shubert)

Marquis Theatre (Nederlander)

Music Box Theatre (Shubert)

Palace Theatre (Nederlander)

St. James Theatre (Jujamcyn)

Winter Garden Theatre (Shubert)"

 

Since there is no sensible reason to have theaters named after Brooks Atkinson or Walter Kerr (critics? really??) -- it would be a nice start to rename those 2 buildings.

[themadmarchhare]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 2:51pm

Would love to see one of the theatres named after Josephine Baker

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 2:55pm

JSquared2 said: "Since there is no sensible reason to have theaters named after Brooks Atkinson or Walter Kerr (critics?really??) -- it would be a nice start to rename those 2 buildings."

Walter Kerr had a successful career as a writer/director, too, with 6 Broadway credits. Though I agree that it seems more likely that Nederlander and Jujamcyn would rename those houses than, say, the St. James and the Palace, two iconic and storied houses.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 2:55pm

This thread title could be a little shorter. Yikes. 

Would love to see one of the theatres named after Josephine Baker

Great idea. 

 

[StardustsChild]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 3:09pm

I so hope the Broadway is one of the renamed houses. I love the space, but the name causes endless confusion for their marketing teams, and feels so.... blah compared to an actual storied name attached to a person. 

Paul Robeson, Langston Hughes, and Josephine Baker are wonderful and historic name pulls. Bert Williams deeply deserves the recognition as well, but I doubt they would honor him in such a way today given that he performed in minstrelsy. A deeply important person, but harder to explain than a hero of the Harlem Renaissance like Hughes. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 3:12pm

Gregory Hines

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 3:17pm

I wish they’d just go back to the Royale, etc. keep away from naming theaters after people. But I’m with the no critics thing.

[BCfitasafiddle]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 3:21pm

Lorraine Hansberry deserves a theatre.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 3:25pm

BCfitasafiddle said: "Lorraine Hansberry deserves a theatre."

She was certainly a trailblazer and it would be deserved, but she only wrote 3 Broadway shows (two produced in her lifetime)...something tells me they might want to go for artists whose body of work spanned a longer period of time. But who knows!

And I think I was misreading: Jujamcyn would not have to rename a theatre (unless they want to) since they already have one, and the stipulation is one.

[Martijn-j]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 3:32pm

Juanita Hall and Harry Belafonte would be great. 

[Alexander Lamar]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 3:34pm

Cicely Tyson?

[BCfitasafiddle]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 3:52pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "BCfitasafiddle said: "Lorraine Hansberry deserves a theatre."

She was certainly a trailblazer and it would be deserved, but she only wrote 3 Broadway shows (two produced in her lifetime)...something tells me they might want to go for artists whose body of work spanned a longer period of time. But who knows!

And I think I was misreading: Jujamcyn would not have to rename a theatre (unless they want to) since they already have one, and the stipulation is one."

 

I get what you mean. I just was coming from the mindset of "A Raisin in the Sun is taught everywhere in schools, studied on screen, revived somewhat regularly, and is regarded as one of the most quintessential American plays."

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 4:01pm

In my selfish way Majestic, Palace, St. James, Imperial, and Winter Garden are "famous/classic". Personally, I'd hate to lose one of those names. 

I feel like Nederlander can do the Marquis, because it really means nothing. Shuberts have more of an option. Maybe the Music Box to the Ethel Waters Theatre, where in 1933 "As Thousands Cheer" became the first Broadway show to give an African American performer equal billing with white performers?

[Zion24]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 4:02pm

this sorta tokenism-- everyone has to name one theater after a Black person, and then they will have fulfilled their obligation!- so insulting and so performative. Don't get me wrong, that August Wilson is the only Black artist to have their name on a theater is mortifying, but that seems like a symptom of non-inclusivity and not something to be remedied by making sure the Shuberts and the Nederlanders are forced to come up with more. 

 

that said- arent there a bunch of theaters named after no one? The Marquis Theater is named after an object and/or a hotel. The Imperial, the Broadway, the Music Box, the Broadhurst. the Majestic- all seem long overdue for name upgrades (especially The Broadway, which as someone pointed out above, is particularly ridiculous). 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 4:08pm

Well there needs to be a starting point, and one is a good place to start for companies that have zero theatres named for Black artists. One per owner isn't necessarily enough, but maybe someone like Shubert will want to play a game of oneupmanship and rechristen two houses. (There will also be rebranding and signage costs for the theatre owners.)

And frankly, in my opinion, the renaming of theatres is more of a cosmetic thing; the real change will come from increasing representation within the industry's workforce and creating more equitable protocols.

[Tag]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 4:12pm

Imperial to The Erivo?

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 4:17pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "A few renaming ideas:

– The George C. Wolfe Theatre (the most Tony-nominated Black artist ever)

– The Audra McDonald Theatre (she's young, but weirder things have happened!)

Here are the houses from those 3 theatre owners that are not already named for a PERSON. Wouldn't necessarily be limited to this list, since there are others (like the Cort and Booth) named for long-dead people...

Yes. Maybe I just have recency bias but why not Brian Stokes Mitchell? Also, good point about theaters that aren't already named for a person.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 4:18pm

Tag said: "Imperial to The Erivo? "

The Erivoak 

[Shalfoard]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 4:23pm

Only 3-1/2 of the 42 current Broadway theaters are named after women.  And Second Stage insists that its house only be called the Hayes.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 4:28pm

VintageSnarker said: "Maybe I just have recency bias but why not Brian Stokes Mitchell?"

Because as a Broadway actor, his career is primarily concentrated in a five-year period between 1998 and 2003, and he stumbled right after the NYT dubbed him "Broadway's Last Leading Man!" He hasn't played a starring role on Broadway since. I would not count Chairman of the Actors Fund or concertizing to be part of the qualifications for having a theatre in his name.

Audra also has 6 Tonys across plays and musicals, whereas he has one.

It would be kind of ridiculous to name one after him.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 4:37pm

JDonaghy4 said: "this sorta tokenism-- everyone has to name one theater after a Black person, and then they will have fulfilled their obligation!- so insulting and so performative. Don't get me wrong, that August Wilson is the only Black artist to have their name on a theater is mortifying, but that seems like a symptom of non-inclusivity and not something to be remedied by making sure the Shuberts and the Nederlanders are forced to come up with more."

Going along with this: How about it not just be black artists? I'd say have the theatre owners choose a POC, not necessarily black, and rename a theatre after them. That way if there's a Latin person of note, or Asian, the wealth can be spread a little?

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 8/23/21 at 4:37pm

this is all laughable 

what about naming theaters after hispanic artists or asian artists? 

Updated On: 8/23/21 at 04:37 PM