New World Stages

New World Stages
Dodger Stages (2004–2006)

New World Stages, 2007
Address 340 West 50th Street
New York City
United States
Coordinates 40°45′46″N 73°59′15″W / 40.76277°N 73.98758°W / 40.76277; -73.98758Coordinates: 40°45′46″N 73°59′15″W / 40.76277°N 73.98758°W / 40.76277; -73.98758
Owner The Shubert Organization
Type Off-Broadway
Capacity Stage 1: 499
Stage 2: 350
Stage 3: 499
Stage 4: 350
Stage 5: 199
Construction
Opened 2004 (2004)
Architect Beyer, Blinder, and Belle
Website
www.newworldstages.com

New World Stages is a five-theater, Off-Broadway performing arts complex in New York's Hell's Kitchen. It is located between 49th and 50th Streets beneath the plaza of the Worldwide Plaza complex at Eighth Avenue.

History

Constructed on the site of the third Madison Square Garden, New World Stages was originally built as a Loews Cineplex Entertainment multiplex cinema at Worldwide Plaza, operating from 1994 to 2001. The movie theater complex was closed from 2001 until 2004, when, following substantial renovations, it re-opened as Dodger Stages. The architects were Beyer, Blinder, and Belle. The theatre designers were Sachs Morgan, and the interior designer was Klara Zieglerova. Since that time, the theater complex has housed many commercial theatrical productions, as well as numerous corporate events, readings, and concerts.[1]

Dodger Stages was renamed New World Stages on March 16, 2006, concurrent with Stage Entertainment’s assuming sole ownership of the complex. Since November 17, 2014, the venue has been owned and operated by The Shubert Organization.[2]

In addition to new Off-Broadway productions, New World Stages has become a home to shows that were previously on Broadway, including Avenue Q, The 39 Steps, Million Dollar Quartet, and Peter and the Starcatcher. This producing tactic has been utilized to encourage the extension of a show's commercial run. The venue has also become a location for the piggybacking model, whereby multiple shows adjust their playing times and share the same theater, set, and tech personnel to lower the costs of keeping an open-ended Off-Broadway show running. The theatres and lobby are also available for special events, including conferences, readings, workshops and receptions.[3]

Statistics

New World Stages houses five theaters. Stages 1 and 3 have a maximum of 499 seats each, Stages 2 and 4 have a maximum of 350 seats each, and Stage 5 has a maximum of 199 seats. These capacities, greater than 100, fewer than 499, define New World Stages as an Off-Broadway complex. (Theaters with fewer than 100 seats are Off-Off-Broadway; theaters with 500 or more seats that are in the theater district fall into the Broadway level.) The maximum weekly capacity, assuming five shows running concurrently in the five theaters, each for eight performances per week, is 15,176 people.

The complete square footage of the underground complex is 61,300 square feet (5,690 m2), and it reaches underground the length of a full city block, from 49th street to 50th street.

Show history

The following information is taken from the Internet Off-Broadway Database. New World Stages has been home to a variety of Off-Broadway shows in its brief history, ranging in theme from a water based puppet show to a zombie musical.

Stage 1

499 Seats

Stage 2

350 Seats

Stage 3

499 Seats

Stage 4

350 Seats

Stage 5

199 Seats

The Green Room

Downstairs at New World Stages is The Green Room, a bar and lounge in Hell's Kitchen. Drinks are allowed to be brought into the theaters.

As of October 14, 2016, The Green Room is home to The Imbible: A Spirited History of Drinking.[17]

References

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/28/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.