Virginia Theatre to be renamed

[Plum]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 12:30am

Jujamcyn Theatres is renaming the Virginia for August Wilson, a very nice tribute.
New York Times

[Thenardier]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 12:34am

That's nice.

At least I can spell Wilson...not like Schoenfield...

[Luckydave14]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 12:35am

Agreed Thenardier

[midtowngym]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 12:39am

Oh thank god. I was picturing The Doritos Theatre.

[morosco]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 12:40am

A wonderful tribute to a brilliant writer.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 12:44am

midtown, this is only an interim name until Microsoft's check clears.

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 1:47am

I'm still waiting for the Ethel Merman Theatre. The Imperial (Annie Get Your Gun, Call Me Madam, Gypsy), the Majestic (Happy Hunting), or the Broadway (Gypsy) would be good choices

[GypsyRoseLee]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 2:19am

PHEW! When I first read the title, the first thing that came into my head was, "Oh dear god, not another corporate name! What is this world coming to!?"

I'm with you hushpuppy! I think it should be the Broadway, I mean, "The Broadway Theatre" how unoriginal can we be!?

Anyway, that's nice.

[Jon]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 5:36am

Wonderful, yes, but where's the Arthur Miller Theatre?

[RockabyeHamlet]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 6:10am

I seriously at first thought this was a joke and you were gonna say it was being renamed as the Flops Theatre...

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 8:32am

Wonderful, yes, but where's the Arthur Miller Theatre?

Jon, you took the words right out of my mouth!

I am very glad that Mr. Wilson, quite possibly the greatest living playwright, is getting a theatre named after him. Next, we need a theatre for the greatest playwright of the second half of the Twentieth Century.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 11:10am

August Wilson is one of (and to some people #1) greatest American playwrights. It isn't slumming to give him a theatre and not Miller or Williams.

[Jon]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 11:49am

I hate to be the one to say this, but the reason Wilson is getting a theatre named after him before Miller or Williams is one of political correctness. There has never been a Broadway Theatre named after an African-American, while there are already a whole bunch named after white guys.

Plus, Williams was gay, and Arthur Miller was a cranky old bastard.

Plus, Miller got to have sex with Marilyn Monroe, so he had a better life than any of us.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 11:58am

Or maybe the fact that he is about to die.

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 12:06pm

The Cy Coleman Theatre, anyone?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 12:12pm

And has been close to Landesman and the Jujamcyn family since his first play, Ma Rainey. This is a tribute to a friend, one whom, unlike the Shubert "friends" Schoenfeld and Jacobs, happens to be a two time Pulitzer Prize and 6 time NY Drama Critics Circle recipient who ranks on equal footing with the very greatest dramatists this country has ever produced.

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 12:24pm

Bravo to Jujamcyn for celebrating a truly great playwrite.

[ianacts]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 12:34pm

August Wilson is one of the Greatest Playwrights in American History. No other American playwright has ever even attempted, let alone Suceeded with anything as ambitious or theatrical as his ten play cycle. To suggest anything other that that shows extreme ingnorance on your part. Let's celebrate the life and work of one of this countries greatest treasures. To August!

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 1:57pm

Incidentally, as per Miller's wishes (and continuing through his estate) there will be only one Arthur Miller Theatre and it is currently being built at the University of Michigan. His estate won't allow a Broadway theatre to be named for him.

Miller avoided all forms of self-aggrandizement in life and it continues on after his death (for example, he refused the Kennedy Center Honor several times).

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 2:02pm

I've always wondered why they change the names of the theaters? I mean how come the Broadway theater hasn't been changed? (its got the ugliest marquee - it looks so dated). Just wondering. It seems like, yes, this is a great honor, but in 10-20 years, if that, its just going to be renamed for someone else. It seems weird.

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 3:25pm

Boy do I feel old. I remember when the Broadway Theatre put up that 'dated' marquee. I always thought it looked faux 30's and belonged at someplace like Universal Studios

[songplugger]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 4:39pm

It's nice that Wilson gets a theater named after him. Though I admit, I do like the name "Virginia Theater" and am sorry to see it go.

Frankly, its of little importance whether whether Merman, Sondheim, Porter or Sally Rand gets a theater re-named after them. The real tragedy is that the historic Variety Arts Theater was destroyed a few months ago and NO attempt was made to save it.

[sweetiedarlinmia]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 4:42pm

Very pleased by this. August Wilson is, in my opinion, one of the greatest playwrights in theatre history. This is quite a fitting honor.

[perfectliar]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 4:42pm

I second the motion that the Broadway Theatre be renamed, if only because I will never forget this argument a friend of mine and I had about Miss Saigon:

Her: All this ticket says is that it's playing at Broadway Theatre. Which one though?
Me: The Broadway Theatre.
Her: Well, duh, it's in a Broadway Theatre if it's on Broadway, but WHICH theatre?
Me: The Broadway Theatre.
Her: I know that, but which one?
Me: THE BROADWAY THEATRE!!!
Her: Okay, but WHICH Broadway theatre?

[Plum]

Posted: 9/2/05 at 4:47pm

I think the Virginia is a nice name, too, but the August Wilson doesn't sound bad, either. I wish we could get rid of names like "American Airlines," but such is life.

And Wilson is as deserving an American dramatist as we have. Don't ascribe this to political correctness.