Vivian Beaumont Theater
The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a theater in Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan ( 150 West 65th Street ). It is New York City's only theater, which is regarded as Broadway theaters ( with productions that are nominated for Tony Awards), but that is not located near the Times Square theater district.
History
The theater was named after the patron Vivian Beaumont Allen ( † 1962), a former actress and heiress to the department store chain May She had donated $ 3,000,000 in 1958 for the construction of a playhouse with solid Ensemble at Lincoln Center. After several delays and with an estimated construction cost of $ 9,600,000, the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, was opened at that time with 1,143 seats on 21 October 1965. At the opening of Georg Büchner's Danton's Death, directed by Herbert Blau has been given;, starring James Earl Jones and Stacy Keach.
1965-1966, the theater of the " Repertory Theatre " of Lincoln Center was recorded under the direction of Jules Irving and Herbert Blau. Blue stepped back as early as 1965, while Irving remained as sole managing director until 1972. From 1973 to 1977, the theater of the New York Shakespeare Festival under the direction of Joseph Papp was administered. After three years of vacancy, the theater was in 1980 under the auspices of Lincoln Center Theater Company, which was led by Richmond Crinkley reopened. He had the support of a five-member Board consisting of Woody Allen, Sarah Caldwell, Liviu Ciulei, Robin Phillips and Ellis Rabb. The playwright Edward Albee was engaged as house poets. From late 1981 to 1983 the theater was closed for renovation.
Current usage
Since 1985 (now under the direction of André Bishop and Bernard Gersten ) operated the Vivian Beaumont Theatre Lincoln Center Theater. Sometimes that theater is rented out to commercial theater operators, such as Alexander H. Cohen and Hildy Parks, produced in 1983 Peter Brook's production of La Tragédie de Carmen there.
In the basement of the theater building, the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater (1972 original forum after a patron renamed) is an intimate theater with 299 seats, where the Lincoln presents Center Theater less occupied plays and musicals, to the Off-Broadway productions are counted.
Opened in 2012, the Lincoln Center Theater, the Claire Tow Theater on the roof of Beaumont Theatre. This new platform offers young playwrights, directors and stage designers a forum. With an annual budget of about $ 2 million around three to four productions are brought to the stage. The theater is named after Claire Tow, whose husband Leonard Tow donated $ 7.5 million for the theater.
The building is also headquarters of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, which is located on the third floor.
Architecture
The Vivian Beaumont Theatre was built by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen, in collaboration with the American set designer Jo Mielziner in classic modernist style. For cost reasons, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts had to be integrated, and located within the perceptible from the outside only on wide concrete roof above the third floor glazed theater. The interior of the library is by Gordon Bunshaft. The theater was different from traditional Broadway theaters by the steep auditorium ( with so-called " stadium seating " ) and its three sides open, reaching into the auditorium stage ( " thrust stage" ). In the course of an elaborate reconstruction from 1981 to 1983 at a cost of $ 6.5 million a dispute between the architect IM Pei and acoustician Cyril M. Harris resulted. It led to Pei's resignation as the responsible architect. In addition to improved acoustics and better sight lines, the theater at that time was a new proscenium arch, less steep transitions and some more seating. The horseshoe-shaped ground plan of the bleachers was abandoned in favor of a more conventional form. The theater has been renovated several times over the years to improve its acoustics and technical equipment.
The Claire Tow Theater on the planted roof of the theater was designed by Hugh Hardy, who had already collaborated in Mielziners the original construction. The two-story glass box has the same width as the glazed part of the original theater and houses next to the theater with 112 seats and rehearsal rooms, dressing rooms, offices and a lobby with bar The building is provided on all sides with aluminum blinds that serve as sun protection. Inside Hardy uses simple materials. The lobby floors are made of stained oak, the angled walls of the theater is made of walnut wood. In the bar there is a sculpture by Kiki Smith Overture from the year of 2012.