Out with an old- In with a New!

Today, Broadway In Chicago, lit up the marquee for their newly named James M. Nederlander Theatre. The theatre, located at 24 West Randolph Street, one of the first theaters to be restored and a part of the Broadway In Chicago  Venues, was the original Oriental Theater ( a movie house that I went to as a youngster) and when reopened, the Ford Oriental Theatre as the motor company through naming rights dollars was in part responsible for the beautiful restoration that took place.

It was James M. Nederlander, who grew up in the theater world of New York, who had the faith in Chicago as a long-run theatre town and since the mid 1950’s supported our city in getting the best that Broadway had to offer. He brought shows into our Blackstone Theatre, The Studebaker, The Shubert and The Michael Todd, and later developed the Broadway In Chicago concept.

Lou Raizin, President of Broadway In Chicago says “renaming this venue in his honor is a way to say thank you and to acknowledge the extraordinary difference he made for Chicago in his lifetime”. His son, James L. Nederlander, president of  The Nederlander Organization, one of the largest private entertainment companies in the world and his family pulled the switch that lit up our Chicago theater marquee with the new name. He is well worth a “google” and if you love theater, a name to respect and keep alive. It is people like the Nederlander family who continue to work at keeping our theaters filled with great works of art and giving actors the opportunity to bring marvelous live theater to the world. Most of the pre-Braodway starts that took place in Chicago, were because of James M. Nederlander. so on behalf of the city of Chicago, all of the actors who have played our stages and those who attend the theater of a regular basis, Thank you for what you have done for us and I for one will be proud to walk in the Nederlander Theatre next week for the opening of  “Dear Evan Hansen ( 2/12-3/10) followed by “A Bronx Tale”, “Anastasia”, “Tap Dogs”, “Rent” ( 20th anniversary tour) , Falsettos” and “Cats”. That takes us thru August, so you know there is more to come!

To learn more about this man, visit www.nederlander.com