| PRESS
ROOM | |
| MAJOR
HUMANITIES GRANT AWARDED TO THE THEATRE MUSEUM $20,000 Will Fund Upcoming Brooklyn
Theatre Exhibition The New York Council for the Humanities announced that
The Theatre Museum was awarded $20,000 as a matching grant, to be applied toward
the installation of its upcoming exhibition spotlighting the rich theatrical history
of Brooklyn, called Brooklyn Sees Stars. The exhibition, to take
place at the Brooklyn Public Library on Grand Army Plaza from January 13 through
April 4, 2009, will focus on the little known, but vibrant history of live theatre
in Brooklyn, which began in revolutionary-era taverns and lavish Victorian gilded
palaces. Though many of the borough's famed theatres have found new uses as churches
and supermarkets, the exhibition will celebrate the resurgence of theatre in Brooklyn
in recent years. The exhibition will draw upon archival records, architectural
history experts, gorgeous show programs, and sheet music samples from musicals
performed in Brooklyn. Partnering with the Brooklyn Public Library is a
first for The Theatre Museum, which frequently works with other local cultural
organizations to launch exhibitions. The library was a natural choice with its
rich collections of Brooklyn research materials and ample exhibition space, frequented
by over two million people each year. Founded in 2003, The Theatre Museum
is New York State's first and only chartered, non-profit museum dedicated to the
history of theatre. The Museum's programs include community outreach, education
programs and the annual Theatre Museum Awards for Excellence Ceremony. The museum's
primary mission is to preserve, protect and perpetuate the legacy of theatre through
innovative programming. It currently functions as a museum-at-large while looking
for permanent gallery space. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations
expressed in this press release do not necessarily represent those of the New
York Council for the Humanities or National Endowment for the Humanities. #
# # If you'd like more information, or to schedule an interview with president
Helen M. Guditis, please call The Theatre Museum at 212-764-4112 x205 or email
press@thetheatremuseum.org. For more information about The New York Council for
the Humanities, visit www.nyhumanities.org. |
| July
1, 2008 LEGENDARY SHOWMAN JOE FRANKLIN HEADS THE 2008 THEATRE MUSEUM AWARDS
HONOREES American radio and television personality Joe Franklin, who has
been entertaining New York audiences for more than half a century, will be the
recipient of The Theatre Museum's Career Achievement Award at its 2008 Awards
Gala. Recognizing individuals and/or organizations that have made significant
contributions to the life of the theatre, The Theatre Museum will also honor Rick
McKay with its Award of Excellence for Theatre History Preservation to an Individual
and The Theatre Museum of Repertoire Americana with its Award of Excellence for
Theatre History Preservation to an Organization. Five Towns College will receive
the Award for Excellence in Theatre Arts Education. The Awards will be presented
on October 21, 2008 at New York's The Players Club, 16 Gramercy Park South. "The
Theatre Museum is proud to have the opportunity to recognize a diverse array of
recipients this year," says museum president Helen Marie Guditis. "Each,
in a uniquely different way, has made a significant contribution to theatre arts
and the principles and goals of our organization." Dubbed "the
king of nostalgia," television pioneer Joe Franklin debuted on WJZ-TV (later
WABC-TV) in 1951 with one of the medium's earliest talk shows. He moved to WOR-TV
(later WWOR-TV) in 1962 where he remained a mainstay until 1999. It is estimated
that as host of "The Joe Franklin Show," he interviewed over 10,000
guests during its 43-year TV run. He can currently be heard Saturday nights broadcasting
on WOR radio's "Memory Lane" (710AM in NYC, 12 midnight) and also be
heard daily on Bloomberg Radio's "Lifestyles" segment. An acknowledged
authority on silent film and the owner of one of the largest private sheet music
collections in the world, Franklin has written 23 books, including Classics
of the Silent Screen and his 1995 autobiography Up Late with Joe Franklin.
He has appeared as himself in countless films, notably "Ghostbusters"
and "Broadway Danny Rose." Producer/Director/Writer/Cinematographer
Rick McKay is the sole owner and proprietor of Second Act Productions. His hit
film, "Broadway: The Golden Age," has won over 15 film festival awards
and landed on 17 Top Ten film lists. McKay, who has won three Telly awards for
his television work, has produced episodes for A&E's "Biography"
and produced, directed and shot "Elaine Stritch: At Liberty" for "Egg:
The Arts Show." Much of this footage was also used to make the HBO documentary
of the same name, which won Stritch a 2004 Emmy. For five seasons McKay was a
segment producer on WNET13's "City Arts" and recently helped to create
the opening segment of two Tony Award broadcasts. McKay is currently finishing
his new film, "Fay Wray," a half documentary chronicling Wray's legendary
career in film. Started in 1969, Five Towns College is a community of artists
and scholars who specialize in music, media, business, education, theatre, film
and the performing arts. This unique place, defined by the talented men and women
who form its constituency, boasts nearly 40 undergraduate and graduate programs,
enrolling approximately 1,200 students. Founded by Dr. Stanley G. Cohen
and the late Mrs. Lorraine Kleinman-Cohen in the southwestern corner of Nassau
County, a geographic region commonly known as the "Five Towns," the
College was New York's first institution of higher learning to establish programs
in both jazz/commercial music and music business. Although the College was originally
conceived as a "business" college, music quickly became its forté. Officially
opened in 1973, the Museum of Repertoire Americana is dedicated to preserving
memorabilia and artifacts of early repertoire theatre. The collection, featuring
materials dating from the 1880s through the 1970s, includes numerous painted curtains
and scenic pieces, playbills, show cards, advertising sheets, heralds, photographs,
programs, correspondence, tour schedules and other original source materials. The
Iowa-based Museum features a research library containing thousands of pieces of
memorabilia and the largest collection of repertoire scripts in the nation. The
primary focus is on the many traveling companies that performed in opera houses
and tents, also known as "under canvas" in the United States. Additional
displays include items encompassing vaudeville, minstrel shows, medicine shows,
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" shows, showboats and Chautauqua. Founded in
2003, The Theatre Museum is New York State's first and only chartered, non-profit
museum dedicated to the history of theatre. It is a museum-at-large -- presenting
exhibitions in collaboration with other cultural institutions. The Museum's programs
include community outreach, such as teaching children how to write, direct and
stage live theatre, and the annual Theatre Museum Awards for Excellence Ceremony.
Its primary mission is to preserve, protect and perpetuate the legacy of theatre
through innovative programming. For more information, please contact: Helen
Marie Guditis (212) 464-4112 ext 205 press@thetheatremuseum.org www.thetheatremuseum.org |
| February
11, 2007 ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** THE THEATRE MUSEUM LAUNCHES
WEBSITE VIDEO GALLERY The Theatre Museum, New Yorks first and only
chartered museum dedicated to theater arts education, promotion and theatre history
preservation, announces the debut of its Video Gallery s website, http://www.thetheatremuseum.org/. The
premier video, sponsored by Regent Releasings Show Business: The Road
to Broadway, features highlights from The 2007 Theatre Museum Awards for
Excellence, held at the National Arts Club in Gramercy Park on October 29, 2007.
Recipients included Ellen Burstyn, who was honored with the Lifetime Achievement
Award, Theatre Arts Education Award winners Carmen de Lavallade and Arts Horizon,
and New York Times Theatre Critic Ben Brantley, who received the Theatre History
Preservation Award. The Gala also featured live performances by Xanadus
Kerry Butler, Tovah Feldshuh, James Naughton and Jim Dale, who also served as
master of ceremonies. Michael Lavine provided musical accompaniment. Were
very excited about the launch of the websites Video Gallery, says
the museums president Helen Marie Guditis. It will be great to have
a visual representation of the many activities and exhibitions The Theatre Museum
offers throughout the year. The videos, exclusive to The Theatre Museum,
are being created by Never Dull Productions, a New York/Los Angeles company specializing
in television, theatre and Internet productions (http://www.neverdullproductions.com). Upcoming
additions to The Theatre Museums Video Gallery include: "SHOWBOAT
'ROUND THE BEND" - a unique, one-of-a-kind exhibition presenting the history
of the American showboat on historic Showboat Barge #79 at the Waterfront Museum
in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The exhibition is scheduled to run through May, and will
be promoted, among other ways, by a Clear Channel digital billboard running in
Times Square. TIMES SQUARE THEATRES: A NEW CENTURY/A NEW STYLE - a walking
tour, based on the exhibition that had been at the Municipal Art Society from
January to March 2007, emphasizing the changing architectural styles of the Times
Square Theatres from the early 1900s to the anticipated opening of The Henry
Miller Theatre as part of the new Bank of America Building in 2008. INTERVIEWS
WITH THE THEATRE MUSEUMS BOARD OF TRUSTEES & ADVISORY COMMITTEE - Broadway
producers Stewart F. Lane, Bonnie Comley and Rocco Landesman, performers Jim Dale,
Theodore Bikel, Tovah Feldshuh and Chris Lemmon, designers William Ivey Long and
Jeff Davis, directors Scott Ellis, Linda Masson-Kingsley, Ph.D. and Michael Kantor
and Backstage Editor-at-Large Sherry Eaker, all members of The Theatre Museums
prestigious advisory Committee, offer their thoughts on Broadways history
and legacy. Founded in 2003, The Theatre Museum of New York is currently
a museum-at-large with a longstanding commitment to presenting exhibitions in
collaboration with other cultural institutions, working with the New York City
school system on theatre-related educational programs, and producing an annual
Theatre Museum Awards for Excellence Ceremony. For more information, please
contact Helen Marie Guditis (212) 464-4112 ext 204 |
| THE
THEATRE MUSEUM PRESENTS: THE IMPACT OF JEWISH CULTURE ON BROADWAY THEATRE Broadway
Producer Stewart F. Lane to Chair Panel Discussion on the Jewish Impact on Broadway Legendary
Composer-TV Personality-Comedienne to Join Panel April
XX, 2008, New York On Monday, April 14th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the
Times Square Visitors Center in Manhattan, The Theatre Museum will host
four-time Tony Award winning producer Stewart F. Lane as he leads a panel discussion
concerning the influence that Jewish culture has had on Broadway, from the beginnings
of the great white way to the present. Joining Mr. Lane will be a panel of distinguished
individuals, including television and radio personality, Joe Franklin,
singer/songwriter/comedienne Dr. Susan Horowitz and renowned composer Charles
Strouse, among others. This eclectic group of theatre and entertainment experts
will lend their insight, expertise and unique personalities to this panel that
promises to be as lively and entertaining as it will be informative. Jewish
culture has been a major influence in the theatre since the very beginning,
stated Mr. Lane. I am very much looking forward to discussing this topic
with some of its foremost authorities, and am sure that it will be an entertaining
and enlightening experience for all who attend. The
Theatre Museum is thrilled to be working with such a distinguished panel to raise
public awareness of the rich Jewish heritage that exists within the world of theatre,
said Helen Guditis, President of The Theatre Museum. The panel discussion
will be a part of Immigrant Heritage Week: a city-wide celebration that honors
the experiences and contributions of immigrants in New York City. Established
by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2004 and coordinated by the Mayors Office
of Immigrant Affairs, Immigrant Heritage Week is a rich collection of free or
low-cost programs that build cross-cultural understanding between diverse New
Yorkers. About The Theatre Museum Founded in 2003,
The Theatre Museum is New York State's first and only chartered, non-profit museum
dedicated to the history of theatre. Currently as a museum-at-large, it presents
exhibitions in collaboration with other cultural institutions e.g. the Municipal
Art Society, the Waterfront Museum, Federal Hall and, Brooklyn Public Library
. The Museum's programs include community outreach, through seminars, panels,
walking tours, theatre arts education school residencies. teaching children how
to write, direct and stage live theatre, and the annual Theatre Museum Awards
for Excellence Ceremony honoring significant contributions to Theatre History
Preservation and Theatre Arts Education . The museum's primary mission is to preserve,
protect and perpetuate the legacy of theatre through innovative programming. #
# # |
| STEWART
F. LANE OFFERS INSIGHT INTO THE WORLD OF THEATRE PRODUCTION CONTACT:
Jules Feiler 212-584-4284 WHO: 2007 Tony Award
nominee, and 4 Time Tony Award Winning Broadway Producer Stewart F. Lane WHAT:
A reading of excerpts from Stewart F. Lanes book, Lets
Put On A Show! Theatre Production for Novices. Stewart will offer
insight into the artistry and craftsmanship required to put on a theatre production.
WHEN:
Thursday March 6 , 2008 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Where:
Times Square Information Center, 7th Avenue btw 46th & 47th St About
Stewart F. Lane: The owner of the historic Palace Theater on Broadway, Stewart
is the producer of Broadways LEGALLY BLONDE and a 4 time Tony award winner
for Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Will Rogers Follies, La Cage Aux Folles and
most recently Jay Johnson: The Two and Only. Mr. Lane also produced the
movies SHOW BUSINESS-THE ROAD TO BROADWAY and BROOKLYN RULES starring Alec Baldwin
and Freddie Prinze Jr. (www.MrBroadway.com) About
Lets Put On A Show!: Let's Put On a Show! is a reader-friendly guide
through the entire process of producing a play or musical, from concept to standing
ovation. It gives novices and first-time theatre producers, as well as regional
and community theatre producers, advice for successfully staging a performance,
even without a Broadway budget. http://www.heinemanndrama.com/products/E00981.aspx Stewart
is also available for interviews, questions, and discussions. For
additional info Please contact Jules Feiler 212-584-4284 or jfeiler@5wpr.com |
|
THEATRE MUSEUM ANNOUNCES 2007 AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE
HONOREES
New York, New York
– September 14, 2007 – The
Theatre Museum will honor Ellen Burstyn for lifetime achievement and winners of
the 2007 Awards for Excellence on Monday, October 29, 2007 at the National Arts
Club in Gramercy Park, New York City. The evening will include cocktails, dinner
buffet and staged performances by Broadway artists. The
Theatre Museum will honor Ellen Burstyn for lifetime achievement as more than
a stage, film and television actress. Ms. Burstyn was the first woman to be elected
president of Actor's Equity Association (1982-85), served for six years as artistic
director of the Actors Studio and continues there as co-president with Al Pacino
and Harvey Keitel. In 1975, for best actress, she won a Tony Award for Bernard
Slade's Same Time Next Year and an Academy Award for Martin Scorsese's
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. For
Theatre Arts Education, The Theatre Museum will honor both an individual and an
institution. Tony Award winner James Naughton will present TheTheatre Museum Award
for Excellence in Individual Achievement to Carmen de Lavallade, actor, dancer
and choreographer, who is being recognized for her work as a professor at Yale
University, director of Adelphi University's Dance Department and teacher for
performing arts groups including the Julliard Dance Department, the American Dance
Festival and the New Ballet School. Emmy
Award winner Pia Lindstrom will present Arts Horizons, a 29-year-old cultural
institution, with The Theatre Museum Award for Excellence as an Organization for
assisting seven million students to develop creatively through artist-in-residence
programs with professional performers, interactive live performances and after-school
intervention programs featuring art therapists. Ben
Brantley, chief theatre critic for The New York Times since 1996 and editor of
The New York Times Book of Broadway: On the Aisle for the Unforgettable Plays
of the Last Century, will receive the Award for Theatre History Preservation. Funds
raised from this event will help support: the growth of The Theatre Museum organization;
programs such as "Showboat 'Round the Bend!" on view at the Waterfront
Museum in Red Hook, Brooklyn until May 2008; exhibitions in development including
series focusing on The Ethnic Contributions to the American Theatre and
exploring The Theatre History of New York's Five Boroughs ; and education
outreach to public and private schools from elementary to university levels. Other
programs include the Meet the Author series online and in person, theatre history
walking tours, lectures and seminars. The
Theatre Museum is New York's first and only chartered, non-profit museum dedicated
to the history of theatre. Its primary mission is to preserve, protect and perpetuate
the legacy of theatre through innovative programming including exhibitions and
presentations, collaborations, theatre arts education and the annual Theatre Museum
Awards for Excellence ceremony. The vision for The Theatre Museum includes a permanent,
world-class exhibition space featuring interactive exhibits, exhibitions showcasing
the past, present and future of theatre here and abroad, and seminars and workshops. #
# # |
|
THE THEATRE MUSEUM RECEIVES $5, OOO
GRANT FOR OCTOBER GRAND SHOWBOAT WEEKEND
New York, New York
– September 9, 2007 – The Theatre Museum’s “Showboat ‘Round the Bend!” October
GRAND SHOWBOAT WEEKEND at The Waterfront Museum in Red Hook, Brooklyn has received
a $5,000 grant
in
public funds
from
the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.
The weekend, taking
place from noon until 6 p.m. on
Saturday
October 20 and Sunday October
21,
2007, will feature vintage entertainment and panels of speakers exploring the
myth and reality of the American showboat.
Special guest speaker
Julie Gilbert, a grand-niece of Show Boat author Edna Ferber, was nominated
for the Pulitzer Prize as a Ferber scholar. Ms. Gilbert will discuss the
novel and its adaptations.
Saturday, October
21, 2007, will offer selections from the musical Show Boat, performance
and discussion of the calliope, or steam piano, by Conrad Milster of the Pratt
Institute, and a reading of William Pratt’s 1858 temperance melodrama Ten
Nights in a Barroom directed by Ian W. Hill.
A panel discussion
about
the
reality and myth of showboats will feature Don McDaniel, editor of Showboats
Centennials: 1831-Present, Laurence Maslon, Ph.D., theatre history scholar
and co-author of PBS series on musical theatre, and Julie Gilbert.
On Sunday, October
21, 2007, vaudeville scholar Travis Stewart (Trav S.D.) will host a variety show
featuring clog dancing, banjo-playing minstrels, a period comedy routine, acrobatics,
a Shakespearean soliloquy, pantomime, dancers, a wrestling match, and a lecture
with slides.
A discussion by
a panel of experts entitled
“Music
and Entertainment on the Showboat”
will
feature Eric Lott, University of Virginia professor and author of Love and
Theft, Don Wilmeth, Ph.D., American theatre historian and Brown University
professor emeritus, and Loren Schoenberg, executive director of the Jazz Museum
in Harlem.
“Showboats
Reborn” will present Captain Tom McGuire of the Driftwood Floating Theatre, Norman
Brouwer, South Street Seaport Museum Curator of Ships and Maritime Historian,
Tim Perrino, Showboat Majestic Director, as well as Waterfront Museum Captain
David Sharps.
“Showboat ‘Round
the Bend!”, curated by Mary Habstrittt with the assistance of Virginia Willits
and
designed by Elizabeth York, extols the glory of the American showboat and features
informative panels, video clips, oral histories and a painted drop curtain.
Also featured are costumes, a cash box and tickets from a showboat box office.
The exhibition’s co-directors are Helen Marie Guditis, president of The Theatre
Museum, and David Sharps, captain of the Waterfront
Museum
and Showboat Barge.
The exhibition will
be on view through April 2008. Public viewing hours are Thursdays from 4
- 8 p.m. and by appointment. On October 6 and 7, 2007, from noon to 6 p.m.,
the museum will be open for Open House NY.
Admission
is free, however donations are requested. Directions to the museum may be
obtained from
http://waterfrontmuseum.org/gallery/2007/press.html.
Sponsors
for the exhibition include
Abraham & Lillian Rosenberg Foundation, Framerunner, Hudson
Scenic Studios,
Independence Community Foundation,
Motion Picture Studio Mechanics Local 52, MSD Visual, NY Council
for the Humanities, The Rockefeller Group,
Theatrical Stage Employees Union, Local One, I.A.T.S.E., Theatrical
Wardrobe Union Local 764, United Scenic Artists Local 829, and Walton Hauling
and Warehouse Corporation. Special thanks to Greg O’Connell.
Founded in 2003, The Theatre Museum
is New York State's first and only chartered, non-profit museum dedicated to the
history of theatre. It is a museum-at-large presenting exhibitions in collaboration
with other cultural institutions. The Museum's programs include community outreach,
such as teaching children how to write, direct and stage live theatre, and the
annual Theatre Museum Awards for Excellence Ceremony. Its primary mission
is to preserve, protect and perpetuate the legacy of theatre through innovative
programming.
The Waterfront Museum was founded in 1986 to provide waterfront
access and affordable programs in education and the arts aboard an historic vessel.
Housed aboard the only wooden barge of the “Lighterage era” (1860-1960) still
floating in America – the museum has earned a listing on the National Register
of Historic Places. |
| | | A
RECEPTION FOR “SHOWBOAT ‘ROUND THE BEND!” WILL BE
HELD ABOARD BROOKLYN'S HISTORIC SHOWBOAT BARGE |
| New
York, New York – June 20, 2007 – “Showboat ‘Round the Bend!” is a one- of-a-kind
exhibition about the American Showboat. The exhibition was created by The Theatre
Museum and Waterfront Museum. There
will be a special summer reception on July 26, 2007 with refreshments and entertainment
from 5:30-7:30 p.m. aboard the historic Lehigh Valley Railroad Barge at the Waterfront
Museum in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The
exhibition, curated by Mary Hasbritt and Virginia Willets, explores the origin
and development of the American Showboat on New York waterways and those across
the country. Showboats began bringing
settlers entertainment in 1831. In the 19th and into the 20th
century, these riverboats and their performers were for many their only source
of entertainment -- from vaudeville to drama to moving pictures. A
grand Showboat Weekend will be held on October 20 - 21, featuring a panel of experts,
including scholars, former showboat operators and family members, discussing life
on the showboat, music and entertainment presented there, and the reality
vs. representations of showboats. Performances of vintage showboat entertainment, from vaudeville
to calliope, under the artistic direction of vaudevillian Travis Stewart (a/k/a
Trav S.D.), will be presented. The
exhibition will be on view through December 20 2007, and during the Waterfront
Museum’s CIRCUS Sundays in June and SUNSET MUSIC SERIES in July.
Public viewing hours are Thursdays from 4 - 8 p.m.
Admission is free and donations are requested.
Directions to the museum may be obtained from http://waterfrontmuseum.org/gallery/2007/press.html. The
exhibition is sponsored in part by NY Council for the Humanities, Abraham &
Lillian Rosenberg Foundation, Independence Community Foundation, Local One of
the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Hudson Scenic Studios,
Walton Hauling and Warehouse Corp., Framerunner and the MetLife Volunteer Ventures
Program. Special thanks to Greg O’Connell. Founded
in 2003, The Theatre Museum is New York State's first and only chartered, non-profit
museum dedicated to the history of theatre. It is a museum-at-large presenting
exhibitions in collaboration with other cultural institutions. The Museum's programs
include community outreach, such as teaching children how to write, direct and
stage live theatre, and the annual Theatre Museum Awards for Excellence Ceremony.
Its primary mission is to preserve, protect and perpetuate the legacy of
theatre through innovative programming. The
Waterfront Museum was founded in 1986 to provide waterfront access and affordable
programs in education and the arts aboard a historic vessel.
The Museum is housed aboard the only wooden barge of the “Lighterage era.”
(1860-1960) and is still floating in America – which has earned it a listing in
the National Register of Historic Places. #
# # |
| | |
"SHOWBOAT
'ROUND THE BEND!" TO OPEN JUNE 2 ABOARD BROOKLYN'S HISTORIC SHOWBOAT BARGE
#79 | | | New
York, New York -May 9, 2007 - "Showboat 'Round the Bend!," an exhibition
to be shown at the Waterfront Museum, will grace the deckhouse of the historic
Lehigh Valley Railroad Barge for its 2007 season. Opening June 2, from noon to
6 p.m., the exhibition will depict the history and development of the showboat
as an indigenous and popular form of entertainment - both along our nation's rivers
and within New York harbor. On the frontier of the
19th century, many settlers got all they needed from boats coming to their towns'
river landings. Through the 20th century, showboats brought people in small river
towns their entertainment, from vaudeville to drama to moving pictures. The exhibition,
curated by Mary Hasbritt and Virginia Wiles, features informative panels, video
clips, oral histories and two painted drop curtains donated by Local One of the
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and Hudson Scenic Studio.
Opening day performances will be presented under the artistic direction of Travis
Stewart (a/k/a Trav S.D.). On October 20 - 21, a
grand Showboat Weekend will bring history to life in a discussion by a panel of
experts, including scholars, former showboat operators and family members. Performances
of vintage showboat entertainment, from vaudeville to calliope, under the artistic
direction of Travis Stewart, will be presented. The
exhibition will be on view from June through December 2007 and during the Waterfront
Museum's CIRCUS Sundays in June and SUNSET MUSIC SERIES in July. Public viewing
hours are Thursdays from 4 - 8 p.m. and admission is free, but donations are requested.
Transportation may be obtained from http://waterfrontmuseum.org/gallery/2007/press.html
. School and group tours are by appointment. The
exhibition is sponsored in part by NY Council for the Humanities, Abraham &
Lillian Rosenberg Foundation, Independence Community Foundation, Local One of
the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Hudson Scenic Studios
and the MetLife Volunteer Ventures Program. Founded
in 2003, The Theatre Museum is New York State's first and only chartered, non-profit
museum dedicated to the history of theatre. It is a museum-at-large presenting
exhibitions in collaboration with other cultural institutions. The Museum's programs
include community outreach, such as teaching children how to write, direct and
stage live theatre, and the annual Theatre Museum Awards for Excellence Ceremony.
Its primary mission is to preserve, protect and perpetuate the legacy of theatre
through innovative programming.
###
| | |
| | | | JIM
DALE JOINS THE THEATRE MUSEUM ADVISORY COMMITTEE | | | New
York, New York - April 18, 2007 - Tony Award winner Jim Dale has joined
The Theatre Museum Advisory Committee, a group of professionals who provide advice
in areas of expertise, assist with projects and lend their names to organizational
endeavors. He joins fellow Broadway performers Theodore Bikel, Tovah
Feldshuh and Jamie deRoy. Mr. Dale will also once again
serve as master of ceremonies for the Awards for Excellence Gala, at which The
Theatre Museum honors individuals and organizations that have made special contributions
in the areas of theatre arts educations and theatre history preservation. Mr.
Dale was master of ceremonies for the 2006 Awards for Excellence Ceremony. This
year's gala will be held on October 29, 2007, at the Hudson Theatre in the Millennium
Broadway Hotel in Times Square. Jim Dale has had a varied career
with auspicious beginnings. He was the youngest comedian in the British Music
Halls at age seventeen-and-a-half. He was a successful pop singer under the wing
of Sir George Martin, producer of the Beatles' records. And he joined the British
National Theatre as a leading actor in 1970 at the request of Sir Lawrence Olivier. Mr.
Dale's work on and off-Broadway includes Three Penny Opera, A
Day in the Death of Joe Egg, Candide and Address Unknown.
In addition to his Tony Award for Barnum, he has won five Tony Nominations,
four Drama Desk Awards, four New York Critics Awards and the Lucille Lortel Award. To
millions of children, Jim Dale is the voice of Harry Potter, having
recorded all six books in the series. As a result, he holds two Guinness Book
of World Records - "Occupying the first six places in America's top ten Audio
Books 2005" and "Creating a total of 134 different character voices
for one audio book, Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix." On The
Theatre Museum Advisory Committee, Mr. Dale also joins designers William Ivey
Long and Jeff Davis, directors Scott Ellis, Linda Masson-Kingsley, Ph.D. and Michael
Kantor, producers Rocco Landesman and Bonnie Comley, stagehand John Lofgren, education
consultants Linda B. Leff, Flora E.S, Kaplan Ph.D., and Louis Rachow, journalist
Sherry Eaker, non-profit advisor Ted Berger, and attorneys Richard F. Bernstein,
Andrew Levy and Tracy Reilly. Founded in 2003, The Theatre Museum is New
York State's first and only chartered, non-profit museum dedicated to the history
of theatre. It is a museum-at-large presenting exhibitions in collaboration with
other cultural institutions. The Museum's programs include community outreach,
such as teaching children how to write, direct and stage live theatre, and the
annual Theatre Museum Awards for Excellence Ceremony. Its primary mission is to
preserve, protect and perpetuate the legacy of theatre through innovative programming. ### | | | |
| | | THE
THEATRE MUSEUM RECEIVES A METLIFE VOLUNTEER VENTURES GRANT | | | New
York, New York - April 11, 2007 - MetLife Foundation has awarded The Theatre Museum
a Volunteer Ventures grant in support of a project proposed by Mike Paleos, a
MetLife employee who volunteers with The Theatre Museum. The grant will help support
public programming to accompany the exhibition Showboat Round the Bend,
being presented in collaboration with the Waterfront Museum in Red Hook, Brooklyn,
from June 2 through December, 2007. Using video, oral history and live performance
on a historic barge, the exhibition presents the history and development of the
American showboat, adapted barges that brought theatre - comedy, melodrama, song
and dance and vaudeville - to people along rivers throughout the country. The
grant will be used to underwrite the cost of printing a brochure and educational
materials for distribution. The Volunteer Venture Program encourages and
supports local employee involvement in nonprofit organizations that work to improve
quality of life. Grants are made for specific projects in which employees have
continuing involvement as volunteers. Mike Paleos has volunteered with The
Theatre Museum and its predecessor, Broadway Theatre Institute, for 15 years.
At The Theatre Museum, he helps promote the arts in education and theatre preservation
initiatives, recruit volunteers and fundraise. He also works on the annual awards
ceremony, which honors excellence in theatre arts education and theatre history
preservation, by nominating potential awardees and selling tickets and tables
for the event. Founded in 2003, The Theatre Museum is New York State's first
and only chartered, non-profit museum dedicated to the history of theatre. It
is a museum-at-large presenting exhibitions in collaboration with other cultural
institutions. The Museum's programs include community outreach, such as teaching
children how to write, direct and stage live theatre, and the annual Theatre Museum
Awards for Excellence Ceremony. Its primary mission is to preserve, protect and
perpetuate the legacy of theatre through innovative programming. #
# # | |
| | | SAVE
THE DATE: OCTOBER 29, 2007 | | | New
York, New York - March 21, 2007 -The Theatre Museum will hold its 2007 Awards
For Excellence Gala on October 29, 2007. This year's festivities will include
awards for excellence in theatre history preservation and in theatre arts education,
entertainment by Broadway stars, cocktails, dinner, a silent auction and a keepsake
journal. At the 2006 event, held in the Hudson Theater at the Millennium
Broadway Hotel, Master of Ceremonies Jim Dale entertained the audience with a
wonderful rendition of four historical music hall jokes. Ventriloquist Jay Johnson
performed segments from his Broadway show, Jay Johnson: The Two and Only,
and Broadway actors from The Wedding Singer and the Off-Broadway show,
Her Song, also delighted those attending. At the 2005 event, Gerald Schoenfeld,
Kitty Carlyle Hart and David Hyde Pierce presented awards to honorees including
Ten Chimneys Foundation for preserving the summer home of Alfred Lunt and Lynn
Fontanne and the Millenium Broadway Hotel for restoring the Hudson Theater. Founded
in 2003, The Theatre Museum is New York State's first and only chartered, non-profit
museum dedicated to the history of theatre. It is a museum-at-large presenting
exhibitions in collaboration with other cultural institutions. The Museum's programs
include community outreach, such as teaching children how to write, direct and
stage live theatre, and the annual Theatre Museum Awards for Excellence Ceremony.
Its primary mission is to preserve, protect and perpetuate the legacy of theatre
through innovative programming. # # # | |
| | | WALKING
TOUR STUDIES HISTORIC BROADWAY THEATRES | | | New
York, New York - February 20, 2007 -The Theatre Museum and the Municipal Art Society
will present a walking tour of Broadway theatres that spans the 20th century and
traces theatres being constructed and stage moments as they were made. The tour
will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 3, 2007, beginning at
the New Victory Theatre on 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. The
walking tour is part of The Theatre Museum's inaugural exhibition, Times Square
Theatres: A New Century/ A New Style, on view at the Municipal Art Society,
457 Madison Avenue near 51st Street. The tour costs $15 per person ($12 for MAS
members). No reservations are required. According to Urban Historian and
Tour Guide Timothy White, "When Times Square was christened as the new theatre
district in the early 20th century, architects abandoned Victorian traditions
for a new Renaissance style. As the century progressed, architects changed design
details, such as the number of balconies and boxes, to keep up with changing Broadway
audiences. After WWII, a new generation of high-tech theatres arrived in Times
Square, while older houses faced demolition or survived through preservation.
The tour will follow these trends through the 20th century, with stops at the
New Victory, New Amsterdam, Hudson, Lyceum, Shubert, Booth, Marriott Marquis and
Palace Theatres." The exhibition, which will run through March 7, 2007,
focuses on the architectural trends in 20th century Broadway theatres. It displays
these trends with 8-foot panels presenting photographs, architectural plans, artifacts
from some of the 13 theatres highlighted and historical data. Many of these panels
demonstrate the transformation theatres went through during this time period.
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| | | NEW
SPONSOR JOINS TIMES SQUARE THEATRES EXHIBITION | | | New
York, New York - February 6, 2007 - The Nederlander Organization has joined the
sponsors of The Theatre Museum's inaugural exhibition, Times Square Theatres:
A New Century/A New Style. The exhibition runs through March 7, 2007, at the
Municipal Art Society, 457 Madison Avenue near 51st Street in New York City. The
Nederlander Organization owns and/or operates 6 Broadway theatres, 17 theatres
nationwide and 3 theatres in London. It presents musicians such as Neil Diamond,
Barry Manilow and U2 and books, co-produces or produces theatrical productions,
most recently including Wicked, Disney's Tarzan and Disney's The
Lion King. The Nederlander Organization presents the Bolshoi Ballet, The Peking
Opera and Ballet Folklorico, among others. The exhibition focuses on architectural
trends in 20th century Broadway theatres. Showcasing 13 theatres, it begins at
the turn of the century, when the New Amsterdam Theatre brought the rare Art Nouveau
style to the emerging district, and travels to the 1930s when Renaissance style
was highly popular. It then registers Broadway's reaction to the movie industry,
in things like planning techniques and the evocative romantic themes inspired
by movie palaces. The exhibition notes the hiatus caused by the Depression as
well as World War II and explores the new Broadway, where modern design and technology
merged with a changing audience. It then proceeds toward the future, when historic
restoration and cutting-edge creativity will co-exist for Times Square theatres. Sponsors
of the exhibition include Jujamcyn Theaters, Millennium Broadway Hotel, New York
Council for the Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the
Humanities, New York Marriott Marquis, The 42nd Street Fund, The Times Square
Alliance, New Amsterdam Theatre and The Rockefeller Group. This exhibition is
supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural
Affairs. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this
exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the
Humanities. # # # | |
| | | THE
THEATRE MUSEUM PRESENTS LECTURE ON EVOLVING NEW YORK THEATRES | | | New
York, New York - February 5, 2007 - The Theatre Museum is holding a lecture on
the architectural history of New York theatres, including Times Square, as part
of its inaugural exhibition, "Times Square Theatres: A New Century/A New
Style." The lecture, "Another Op'nin', Another Theatre - Broadway's
Evolution," will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, February
21, 2007 at the Municipal Art Society, 457 Madison Avenue near 51st Street in
New York City. A reception will follow. Exhibition curator Craig Morrison
will speak about the changing 20th century theatre audience from male, working
class, to families, to those remaining as radio and television took over popular
entertainment, and beyond. The lecture will speak to "how the architectural
form has evolved to suit these changing audiences," he said. Mr. Morrison
is a theatre restoration architect, historian and author of Theatres, a
recent Library of Congress book about theatres in America since the country's
founding. The exhibition, which will run through March 7, 2007, focuses
on the architectural trends in 20th Century Broadway theatres. It displays these
trends with 8-foot panels presenting photographs, architectural plans, artifacts
from some of the 13 theatres highlighted and historical data. These panels demonstrate
the transformation many of these theatres went through during the 20th century. Those
sponsoring the exhibition include Jujamcyn Theaters, Millennium Broadway Hotel
Nederland Organization, New York Council for the Humanities, a state affiliate
of the National Endowment for the Humanities, New York Marriott Marquis, The 42nd
Street Fund, The Times Square Alliance, New Amsterdam Theatre and The Rockefeller
Group. This exhibition is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York
City Department of Cultural Affairs. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations
expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National
Endowment for the Humanities. Founded in 2003, The Theatre Museum is New
York State's first and only chartered, non-profit museum dedicated to the history
of theatre. It is a museum-at-large presenting exhibitions in collaboration with
other cultural institutions. The Museum's programs include community outreach,
such as teaching children how to write, direct and stage live theatre, and the
annual Theatre Museum Awards for Excellence ceremony. Its primary mission is to
preserve, protect and perpetuate the legacy of theatre through innovative programming.
The Municipal Art Society of New York is a private, non-profit membership
organization whose mission is to promote a more livable city. Since 1893, the
MAS has worked to enrich the culture, neighborhoods and physical design of New
York City. It advocates for excellence in urban design and planning, contemporary
architecture, historic preservation and public art. # # # | |
| | | TIMES
SQUARE THEATRES EXHIBITION RECEIVES NEW GRANT | | | New
York, New York - January 29, 2007 - The Theatre Museum received a grant from the
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, half of which is helping to fund
Times Square Theatres: A New Century/A New Style, an exhibition focusing
on the architectural trends in 20th century Broadway theatres. The exhibition
runs through March 7, 2007, at the Municipal Art Society, 457 Madison Avenue near
51st Street in New York City. The other sponsors of this exhibition are
The 42nd Street Fund, The Times Square Alliance, New Amsterdam Theatre, Jujamcyn
Theaters, New York Marriott Marquis, Millennium Broadway Hotel, The Rockefeller
Group and New York Council for the Humanities, a state affiliate of the National
Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations
expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National
Endowment for the Humanities. This exhibition, a display of 8-foot panels
covered with photographs, architectural plans, theatre history and artifacts from
some of the 13 theatres highlighted, explores the changing architectural styles
of Broadway theatres from the time the Broadway theatre district emerged. A
portion of this grant will help to defray the cost of identifying, cataloguing
and storing The Theatre Museum's archive of 35,000 photographs from In Theatre
Magazine donated by Basil Hero, a board member. Founded in 2003, The Theatre
Museum is New York State's first and only chartered, non-profit museum dedicated
to the history of theatre. It is a museum-at-large presenting exhibitions in collaboration
with other cultural institutions. The Museum's programs include community outreach,
such as teaching children how to write, direct and stage live theatre, and the
annual Awards for Excellence ceremony. Its primary mission is to preserve, protect
and perpetuate the legacy of theatre through innovative programming. The
Municipal Art Society of New York is a private, non-profit membership organization
whose mission is to promote a more livable city. Since 1893, the MAS has worked
to enrich the culture, neighborhoods and physical design of New York City. It
advocates for excellence in urban design and planning, contemporary architecture,
historic preservation and public art. # # # | | |
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