www.hollywoodreporter.com: The 296-seat theater in midtown had previously housed productions from the nonprofit theater company Second Stage Theater, which had staged a number of productions there, including the pre-Broadway run of Dear Evan Hansen, but gave up its lease at the end of 2024. Under the leadership of Seaview, the theater will be rebranded into a commercial Off-Broadway theater under the name Studio Seaview.
2 comments:
I love the ideas stated by Greg Nobile in this article - “...To program the space with shows that challenge the traditional theater model and that might not find room on a Broadway stage… Can nurture work that excites us and that we believe will resonate with audiences.” This is a great guiding principle for a production company and for individuals as theater artists. The Tony Kiser Theatre has a pretty interesting history, with shows spanning from 1979 to present. Many notable names have been done by the previous (not for profit) company, Second Stage Theater - The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee, Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, Eurydice, Next to Normal, Dear Evan Hansen, etc. The new model lends itself for longer runs, as they’re not limiting runs by announced dates in advance. Other articles that discuss this change note the failure by many not for profit companies to adapt to the changing needs and wants of the 21st century, and the innovation required by new commercial companies to success.
I am very pleased to see that the building will stay a theatre. It has some real character. It is not the best one in the world but I also think that the theatres that stand out usually provide little aspects that just make them magical. I am a strong believer that theatre can exist anywhere and slapping a stage and renovating an old bank is proof that it works. I'm excited to see what Seaview brings to the stage and what choices they will make regarding the stage and the technical elements. The last paragraph talks about the special place Off-Broadway holds in the world of theatrical storytelling. These are the stories that we theatrical artists love working on. Bringing a unique story that can only be told in the Off-Broadway setting. For I feel that these stories usually hold the really deep questions that force the audience to reflect on aspects of the life they are living. That Broadway cant charge the amount of money for a production like that because it lacks spectacle in the way one would expect from a Broadway show. With Off-Broadway those stages are provided, and allow audiences to be enriched in a different form of storytelling.
Post a Comment