Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Broadway in Chicago announces renaming of Oriental Theatre to honor James M. Nederlander
www.chicagolandmusicaltheatre.com: Broadway In Chicago today proudly announced their plans to honor the late James M. Nederlander, the legendary Broadway theatre owner and producer, patriarch of Broadway and champion of Chicago’s Downtown Theatre District, by renaming the Oriental Theatre as the JAMES M. NEDERLANDER THEATRE.
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2 comments:
Goodbye to my favorite Chicago theater. While it was not the place I saw my first broadway tour, that honor goes to the Cadillac Palace just down the street, I have seen the most number of shows here. I wish they would have renamed the Cadillac Palace Theater after him because the name change will not throw off the experience within the theater space itself. To use the word Oriental is the perfect way to describe it because it draws on that style and aspects of design from all over Asia. Joe Mantello the director of Wicked described as the perfect place for Wicked to sit down at because there are literal flying monkeys in the mouldings. When I saw the King and I there I could not discern where the theatre ended and the set began. It is a show itself to just be in the theater, especially with the giant elephant statue above the proscenium. I do not have a major issue with the name change I just wish they could have kept the name Oriental in there somewhere because it is just so much of the identity of the theater.
I am really glad to see this change. Similar to the renaming of the Broadway "Gypsy Robe" and other problematically named venues and items, I am happy to see this name go. I also compare this to the renaming of certain high schools in the south or the renaming of a few university builds across the country a few years back, to combat the nature of those after whom those building were named, and instead use the renaming to honor people committed to equality. I think choosing to support such a large figure in the Chicago theatre scene is a great way to usher out this problematic name and in a new one. I did not know the person after whom this theatre will now be named, but he seems like an important person to know in Chicago theatre history, so I am glad that he was chosen for the naming. I think having these problematic names normalizes both the people or the words used, and by eliminating those we might start to eliminate the sentiments that go with them.
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