National Theatre (Washington, D.C.)
Location in the United States Location in Washington, D.C. | |
Address | 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C. United States |
---|---|
Coordinates | 38°53′47″N 77°01′50″W / 38.8963°N 77.0305°W |
Owner | Quadrangle Development Corporation[1] |
Operator | The Nederlander Organization |
Capacity | 1,705 |
Construction | |
Opened | 1835 |
Reopened | 1923 |
Tenants | |
National Theatre Foundation | |
Website | |
www |
The National Theatre in the United States is located in downtown Washington, D.C., just east of the White House, and functions as a venue for live stage productions with seating for 1,676. Despite its name, it is not a governmentally funded national theatre, but operated by a private, non-profit organization.
History
The National Theatre was founded on December 7, 1835, by
Located three blocks from the White House, the theater has entertained every U.S. President since Andrew Jackson. On April 14, 1865, Tad Lincoln was attending a performance of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp at Grover's Theater when his father, President Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated at nearby Ford's Theatre.[5]
Like many theatres in the U.S. before the
In 1970, the theatre came under the management of the Nederlander Organization.[9] In 1974, the not-for-profit National Theatre Corporation was established by Roger L. Stevens, Maurice B. Tobin, Donn B. Murphy, and others to save the failing enterprise, in the wake of racial riots, and a downtown made unfashionable by the growth of the surrounding suburbs.
The theatre underwent a major renovation in 1982–1983 when the original wing housing dressing rooms was replaced with a modern structure. The refurbished structure opened in concert with the redevelopment of that part of downtown Washington, D.C., which included
The 1835 stone foundations and brick stage house still exist, although the rock work is now reinforced with steel caissons to resist erosion by the Tiber Creek, which flows beneath the building. From the stage, President Ronald Reagan saluted the refurbished "neighborhood theatre" in January 1984.
Among the Broadway productions which have had out-of-town try-outs at the National are
In 2012, Jam Theatricals assumed operations for the theatre from the
Performers
The many performers who have appeared at the theatre include
Operations
The National Theatre has expanded its activities to include not only Broadway musical performances, but also concerts, lectures, opera, ballet, seminars, and receptions. The National Theatre Foundation[12] is the non-profit organization that oversees operations of the theatre, as well as management of a suite of free community engagement programs including Saturday Morning Live! At The National, Community Stage Connections, and Teens Behind the Scenes. David J. Kitto is the Executive Director. The National Theatre Group (Nederlander National Markets LLC) manages the daily activities of the theatre and provides content for the main stage.
Citations
- ^ "Underused National Theatre is ready for its next act". The Washington Post. 2013-01-11. Archived from the original on 2023-05-30.
- ^ a b Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C. The Society. 1902.
- ^ https://www.newspapers.com/image/25549254/?match=1
- ISBN 978-1-4930-1941-0.
- ISBN 978-1-62157-886-4.
- ISBN 978-0-8078-3733-7.
- ^ "Porgy and Bess: Today in History, September 2". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
- ^ "It's Show Time". Washingtonian. September 1998.
- ^ "The Broadway Battle Flares in Washington; The Broadway Battle in Washington (Published 1980)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2021-11-02.
- ^ Harris, Paul (20 September 2012). "New bookers for D.C. National". Variety. Retrieved 2013-08-22.
- ^ Hershberg, Marc. "Nederlander Reclaims Control Of National Theatre". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
- ^ "Announcing The National Theatre Foundation". The National Theatre Foundation. 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-08-06.
See also
- Theater in Washington D.C.
References
- Stage for a Nation - The National Theatre - 150 Years by Douglas Bennett Lee, Roger L. Meersman, Donn B. Murphy, 1985
External links
- The National Theatre
- Burning of a TheatreArchived 2013-12-02 at the Wayback Machine, New York Times, 29 January 1873.
- What If the Lincolns had Attended the Play at Grover's (National) Theatre?