milven
09-24-2023, 11:42 AM
The Nederlander Organization officially rechristens the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on Broadway, currently home to SIX, as the Lena Horne Theatre in an unveiling ceremony November 1. The move, which marks the first time a Broadway theatre has been named for a Black woman, was initially announced in June.
The ceremony is scheduled to include a block party with a DJ, special performances, remarks, and the reveal of a new marquee, with Broadway stars in attendance.
The name change follows an earlier agreement between Black Theater United and Broadway's three major landlords, who each agreed to rename at least one of its Broadway houses for a Black artist. The Shubert Organization unveiled the James Earl Jones Theatre [[previously the Cort) earlier this year, while Jujamcyn has a venue named for the late, Pulitzer-winning playwright August Wilson.
... Lena Horne’s daughter, and the Horne Family said, “On February 13, 1939, Brooks Atkinson wrote a review of the musical Blackbirds of 1939 for the New York Times. His review was generally unfavorable except for the mention of ‘a radiantly beautiful girl, Lena Horne, who will be a winner once she has proper direction.’ The proper direction came from within Lena herself...."
https://www.playbill.com/article/broadways-lena-horne-theatre-unveiled-november-1
The ceremony is scheduled to include a block party with a DJ, special performances, remarks, and the reveal of a new marquee, with Broadway stars in attendance.
The name change follows an earlier agreement between Black Theater United and Broadway's three major landlords, who each agreed to rename at least one of its Broadway houses for a Black artist. The Shubert Organization unveiled the James Earl Jones Theatre [[previously the Cort) earlier this year, while Jujamcyn has a venue named for the late, Pulitzer-winning playwright August Wilson.
... Lena Horne’s daughter, and the Horne Family said, “On February 13, 1939, Brooks Atkinson wrote a review of the musical Blackbirds of 1939 for the New York Times. His review was generally unfavorable except for the mention of ‘a radiantly beautiful girl, Lena Horne, who will be a winner once she has proper direction.’ The proper direction came from within Lena herself...."
https://www.playbill.com/article/broadways-lena-horne-theatre-unveiled-november-1