CONFIRMED: Second Stage buys Helen Hayes Theatre; venue to be renamed — Page 3

As far as I know, Winter Garden is not the name of a person.

No, but it now had a corporate sponsor attached to its name, which is the very thing people on this thread were preemptively complaining about.

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I'm sure 2ST would have kept the Helen Hayes name if they shaved some money off the price... but if they are the new owners after paying $21M+, seems weird they should then be unable to change the name, or sell naming to help defray the price...

I think most people, including the good folks at 2ST, find the idea of having a corporate name unpleasant. Most of us, and they, would hope that some rich philanthropist will come along and anonymously drop a few mil on their doorstep, But if not, I think anyone with half a brain would rather have 2ST's programming on Broadway than the prospect of more commercial junk. And if we can halt the commercial junk at the marquee, then that seems like a small price to pay.

"Have you seen those terrible Zach Braff plays?"

Yes. Unfortunately.

"What has 2nd Stage put into the theatre realm in the past 5 years (besides Next to Normal) that was even worth mentioning?""

Nothing. And certainly nothing worth remembering.

So now we'll have more junk plays on Broadway in a theatre named for some junky corporation.

What progress!

Doubtless unbeknownst to the narcissistic perpetual children here who think that nothing of value -- or worth valuing --- occurred prior to their hearing Into the Woods as nine-year olds in their pajamas, Helen Hayes was called the First Lady of the American theatre. Most mature, thinking people would say that the person who bore that appellation was well worth commemorating. But not these juvenile egomaniacs who still have the mentality of nine-year olds (of the spoiled-brat kind). "Who cares who she was or what she was called?," say the petulant clods who dare call themselves theatre lovers.

A REAL theatre lover cares.

The First Lady of the American Theatre will now have had her name twice removed from Broadway theatres.

That's no way to treat a lady, much less a First Lady.

Updated On: 1/13/15 at 08:32 AM

The worst renamings had to be the Shoenfeld and the Jacobs with the Friedman close behind. Good intentions for the Shubert Org to honor its own and MTC needed the dollars on the third but isn't there some way to incorporate their names into something more recognizable and more widely associated?

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A REAL theatre lover cares.

Darling, a real theatre lover doesn't care what the name of the theatre is. A real theatre lover cares about the production inside the theatre. The name on the building is just the name on the building, and nothing more. Building names change, The Sears Tower becomes Willis Tower, The Marshall Fields building becomes Macy's, and Comiskey Park becomes US Cellular Field, that is life.

Someone as old as you are should be comfortable with change by now, especially changes as superficial as the name of a building.

I may be the only one who lists this, but:

Little Miss Sunshine

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I'm all for corporate renaming if it would subsidize the ticket price. Hell Id be ok with bringing back the old Vaudeville pre-show curtains with advertisements on them if they would stem the ridiculous place ticket prices are heading.

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Heading?

They are already here.

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That is your opinion. At least two of the titles on that list had good Broadway potential.

"Spoonful wasn't created by them, but brought in from Hartford. Dogfight was a dud. Wings was insanely boring. "By the Way, Meet Vera Stark" was a dud. Bachelorette made a fine movie, so I'll give you that one, and the Entrance of Chad Deity I didn't much care for."

A "dud" according to whom?

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As long as your not trying to express or fool anyone into thinking it is MY opinion. You know.. with your little deceitful avatar.

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Updated On: 1/14/15 at 12:45 PM