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Algonquin Theater Productions announces its plans to move to Pier 17 and the South Street Seaport, starting in March, 2011.
The producers of "Sessions", "The Devil and Billy Markham", and "An Evening at the Carlyle" left their home at 123 East 24th Street in January of 2010 and were content to focus on their shows out of town, but in the words of Artistic Director Tony Sportiello "The deal at the Seaport was simply too good to pass up. The management there reached out to us and made it almost impossible to refuse. They were extremely helpful throughout the negotiations, as they really want a performance space there. They have more than five million people attending the Seaport every year, which is a figure any theater would love. That, combined with the prosperous and growing Battery Park area, convinced us that an audience could be found for legitimate theater." The new space will tentatively be called Algonquin Seaport Theater.
The plan is to eventually build a 200 seat theater which would accommodate Off Broadway shows. The space is on the second floor of the Seaport mall. The view from the back of the theater looks out over the water and offers a breathtaking shot of the Brooklyn Bridge. For the first part of 2011, Sportiello says the plan is to open up with cabaret shows, musical revues, some bands, children's theater and comedy acts. "We need to get people down to the theater, to show them how easy it is to get to and also show them what else is around there. Some of the best restaurants in the city are within walking distance of the Seaport. The mall itself has over 100 shops in its interior. And, of course, there's the view." "Sessions" co-producer Jason Hewitt (Ten Grand Productions) found the location and initiated negotiations with the Seaport. He felt the 3700 square foot space could be used in a variety of ways and purposes. He brought the space to Sportiello's attention and the two agreed to share the running of it. In 2010 Hewitt also initiated talks with theatrical luminaries in Guadalajara, Mexico, which led to "Sessions" becoming the first Off Broadway musical to run in Guadalajara, a city of five million people. The plan now is to move "Sessions" to Mexico City.
Sportiello hopes to open the space officially in April of 2011. For more information, contact Tony Sportiello at algonquinprod@aol.com Tony Sportiello is a published playwright and author of a national weekly column on theater, via Yahoo! Associated Content. He is also the author of more than two dozen plays. He has been the Artistic Director of Algonquin Theater Productions since 2004. He produced the Off Broadway shows "Sessions", "An Evening at the Carlyle" and "The Devil and Billy Markham". He is also the book writer for "National Pastime" (Al Tapper providing the music and lyrics), which is premiering at the Keegan Theatre in Washington, D.C. this April, 2011. His show "Second Chance" opens in May in Vermont. Jason Hewitt productions have been nominated for six Audelco Awards and five New York Innovative Theater Awards. He produced Off-Broadway's Sessions at Algonquin Theater, where it ran for over a year, before opening internationally in Mexico this past summer. He is currently producing the new musical comedy National Pastime, which will open in Washington D. C. this coming April. Other recent projects include Melvin Van Peebles' Unmitigated Truth which garnered multiple 2009 Audelco nominations including Outstanding Musical Production of the year, An Evening at the Carlyle, Same Train, Early in the Mourning (staged reading at Signature Theatre featuring Estelle Parsons, Jerry Stiller, and Peter Frechette), Titanic Voices(The Waldorf Astoria, The National Arts Club, The New York Historical Society), Masquerade(Cherry Lane--2005 NYIT Award for Outstanding Scenic Design). Aside from his work as a producer, he was the Assistant Director for the National Tour of Oklahoma! and served as the Assistant Production Manager for both the Broadway revival of Les Misérables and the Los Angeles production of Wicked. In General Management, twenty Broadway shows in ten years at the firm of Alan Wasser Associates: Les Misérables(Original and Revival), The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Swan Lake, Fosse, Seussical, Putting It Together, Oklahoma!, The Sweet Smell of Success, Hollywood Arms, All Shook Up, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life, Festen, LeStat, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, A Chorus Line, Grey Gardens & Journey's End.
