I also think, in general, renaming theaters like the Majestic is a bad idea. Take the Richard Rodgers. It was known for over 60 years as the 46th Street Street. Maybe a dull name, but, at least, the name told you where the building was located. And by 1990, when it was renamed, there had been a lot of theater history associated with "the 46th Street Theatre." And why name that particular theater for Richard Rodgers? Both of his shows that opened there were flops. Cole Porter had more shows there. Ethel Merman had more shows there. Frank Loesser had two huge hits there. Gwen Verdon and Bob Fosse had more hit shows there as well.
If I were going to name or rename a theater, I would probably consider the name of a producer or director like Prince or an actor or actress. The names of playwrights, composers, and lyricists like Arthur Miller, Tennesse Williams, etc., will continue to be on theater marquees, even if no theater itself is named after them.
I also agree that if we are going to name a new theater or re-name an old one, it should be after a woman. Only 2-1/2 Broadway theaters are named after a woman. How about Hallie Flanagan, Cheryl Crawford, or Eva Le Gallienne? (I know. Most of you are saying, "who"? Maybe that's a good reason for considering names like these.)
Updated On: 5/21/17 at 12:32 PM
