Lee Z. Davis, Owner & Proprietor of The Zipper Factory, announced today the sudden closing of both the theater and the tavern effective immediately.
For the past year, the theater has diversified its programming and was presenting a wide variety of theatrical, musical, comedy and burlesque offerings from such artists as Justin Bond, Our Lady J, Martha Plimpton and Lucy Wainwright Roche, GrooveLily, Joy Behar, Murray Hill and Megan Mullally. David Conrad Brouillard and Bill Coyle served as the theater's Artistic Producer and Producing Associate, respectively.
The Zipper Tavern (formerly The Belt Theater) opened in April 2007. All advance tickets for shows scheduled at The Zipper Factory Theater will be refunded.
This is another blow to the theatrical and musical equivalent of "the indie" (in film world) following the recent closings of The Knitting Factory (which moved to Brooklyn) and this week's closing of The Cutting Room.
The Zipper Factory Theater has presented an eclectic lineup of theatrical events, music, cabaret, comedy, dance, variety and burlesque. With flexible, relaxed seating that can comfortably host 100 and seat a maximum of 240 (audience seating is comprised of a mix of recycled car seats, vintage bus benches and traditional theater seats), and a funky theater lounge/bar, The Zipper has been, without question of one the city's most unique performance spaces.
Since opening in 2001, the theater has become known as one of New York's preeminent entertainment destinations and a desired venue for the city's most gifted artists, both renowned and up-and-coming.
Past engagements include Margaret Cho's The Sensuous Woman; Here Lies Jenny, starring Bebe Neuwirth; Elle, starring Alan Cumming; Lypsinka in The Passion of the Crawford; BETTY in BETTY Rules; Addicted, directed by Bob Balaban, and Henry Rollins' Caught in the Zipper. Comedians who have appeared on The Zipper stage include Sarah Silverman in Jesus is Magic, Joy Behar, Rosie O'Donnell, Barry Humphries, Judy Gold, Lewis Black, Mario Cantone and Murray Hill. Past music acts include Megan Mullally and Supreme Music Program, Nellie McKay, Martha Plimpton and Lucy Wainwright Roche, Our Lady J, Justin Bond, The Last Town Chorus, Jay Brannan, Antony and the Johnsons, Scott Matthew, Marshall Crenshaw, Old Spring Pike, GrooveLily, Ute Lemper, Audra McDonald, Idina Menzel, Sherie Rene Scott, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Euan Morton and Michael Cerveris, as well as the Scissor Sisters, who filmed their controversial Filthy/Gorgeous music video at The Zipper (directed by John Cameron Mitchell).
http://thezipperfactory.com
