I've mentioned this before, but I'm very curious to see what will happen with the Nederlander Theatre when Rent eventually closes. When Rent began in 1996, the theatre was still in no man's land on West 41st Street, and the house had not been booked for four and half years. The Nederlander was a house of last resort.
Now, however, with The Lion King emptying its audience onto 41st Street, and Red Lobster and the Hilton nearby, as well as a new boutique hotel right next door, 41st Street is very different from what it was in the past, when the Nederlander was surrounded by adult book stores and transient hotels. I'm hoping that the Nederlander, with its roomy lobby, and single balcony and good sized 1,200 seats will get booked more readily, following a complete renovation, or if the stigma about that house will remain. At any rate, I'm grateful for Rent for saving that very quirky, charming theatre and perhaps bringing it into a potentially brighter future.
"Gif me the cobra jool!"
Updated On: 9/30/03 at 03:00 PM
