May 30, 2009 was a historic event for Broadway when President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attended a performance of JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE at the Belasco Theatre, marking the first time a sitting President attended a play on Broadway in over 40 years. Reports have confirmed that The Shubert Organization that owns the Belasco will be refurbishing the theater to turn-of-the-century elegance in 2010, and auctioning off items from the current house in celebration of the Obama's attendance.
The items from that historic night up for auction include the two VIP seats in which the President and the First Lady sat (K101 and K102). A plaque noting the occasion is on the back of each chair. Additional items are the framed front page of The New York Post with a full page photograph of the President and First Lady giving the cast a standing ovation, and a JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE poster and Playbill signed by the cast of that production.
These items are currently up for auction online here.
The Belasco Theatre is Broadway's second oldest continuously operating legitimate theatre, built in 1907. (The Lyceum is the oldest, build in 1902).
The auction is being held courtesy of The Shubert Organization and the Lincoln Center Theatre, with special thanks to Laura Koch and Matthew Markoff.
