Broadway NewsLunt-Fontanne Theatre Will Host In Residence on Broadway Series, Offering Concert Experiences From Various ArtistsPerformers from a variety of genres will take the stage for limited engagements as part of a new partnership from three live entertainment companies.
By
Ryan McPhee
March 11, 2019
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre auditorium
Marc J. Franklin
A host of artists from various genres will head to Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre this year as part of In Residence on Broadway, a new concert series developed by a trio of entertainment companies: Live Nation, The Araca Group, and Entertainment Benefits Group.
The series, running May through July, will highlight multiple performers, each playing a limited engagement of 5–10 shows at the Broadway space. Among the participating artists is former The Smiths frontman Morrissey, who, as previously reported, will take the stage May 2–11. A full roster will be announced in the coming weeks.
A design team, including lighting designer Mike Baldassari and sound designers Peter Hylenski and Garth Helm, will collaborate with each resident artist to create an aesthetic catered to their particular style.
The project marks a producing partnership between three companies, each with a history of involvement in live theatre in their own expertise: events promoter and venue operator Live Nation, merchandising firm Araca, and benefits program developer EBG. “Over the last few years on Broadway, we’ve seen non-traditional Broadway shows take center stage,” says Araca Group CEO Matthew Rego. “In a time when shows other than musicals and plays are being presented, we started dreaming about bringing our favorite entertainers to Broadway.”
The 46th Street space has also recently been home to concert engagements by Kristin Chenoweth and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
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Step Inside Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
Step Inside Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
Inside the Theatre, the photo feature series that documents Broadway’s historic playhouses, continues with the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.
20 PHOTOS
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre marquee
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre box office
Portraits of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne
Originally named the Globe after Shakespeare’s theatre in England, the theatre opened on January 10, 1910, built by producer Charles B. Dillingham.
Marc J. Franklin
The theatre was designed by famed architects Carrère and Hastings, and featured a large stage, a compact auditorium, Italian Renaissance decor with draperies of Rose du Barry and walls of old gold, blue, and ivory white. According to the New York Dramatic Mirror, the theatre was a “ complete novelty in American theatrical design.”
For its debut, Dillingham chose Old Town, a lavish musical for two of that era’s most popular musical-comedy stars, Dave Montgomery and Fred Stone, which was greeted with rave reviews.
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre auditorium
Marc J. Franklin
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre auditorium
In 1957, Roger Stevens and Robert W. Dowling of the City Investing Company purchased and restored the theatre. Dowling chose to redo the theatre in an elegant 18th-century style. A new stage was built, the second balcony removed, and a cantilevered mezzanine added. Blue damask walls, crystal chandeliers, and a hundred-foot ceiling mural depicting the theatrical muses added to the house’s new opulence.
In addition to a restored design, the theatre was renamed the Lunt-Fontanne in honor of America’s foremost husband/wife acting couple, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.
On May 5, 1958, the theatre re-opened with The Visit, a stark, harrowing drama of revenge by Friedrich Duerrenmatt.
Throughout its history, the theatre ushered in the Broadway debut of iconic shows such as The Sound of Music and Titanic.
In addition, the theatre saw performances from theatre legends including Carol Channing, Richard Burton, and Elizabeth Taylor.
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre lobby
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre lobby
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre lobby
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre lobby
Photos of the theatre's history line the lower lounge.
Portrait of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre
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