Feb. 21 Lecture Addresses NY Theatre Architecture

The Theatre Museum will hold a lecture on the architectural history of New York theatres, including Times Square, as part of its inaugural exhibition, "Times Square Theatres: A New Century/A New Style."  The lecture, "Another Op'nin', Another Theatre - Broadway's Evolution," will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at the Municipal Art Society, 457 Madison Avenue near 51st Street in New York City. A reception will follow.

Exhibition curator Craig Morrison will speak about the changing 20th century theatre audience from male, working class, to families, to those remaining as radio and television took over popular entertainment, and beyond. The  lecture will speak to "how the architectural form has evolved to suit these changing audiences," he said. Mr. Morrison is a theatre restoration architect, historian and author of Theatres, a recent Library of Congress  book about theatres in America since the country's founding.

The exhibition, which will run through March 7, 2007, focuses on the architectural trends in 20th Century Broadway theatres. It displays these trends with 8-foot panels presenting photographs, architectural plans, artifacts from some of the 13 theatres highlighted and historical data. These panels demonstrate the transformation many of these theatres went through during the 20th century.

Those sponsoring the exhibition include Jujamcyn Theaters, Millennium Broadway Hotel Nederland Organization, New York Council for the Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, New York  Marriott Marquis, The 42nd Street Fund, The Times Square Alliance, New Amsterdam Theatre and The Rockefeller Group. This exhibition is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural  Affairs. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Founded in 2003, The Theatre Museum is New York State's first and only chartered, non-profit museum dedicated to the history of theatre. It is a museum-at-large presenting exhibitions in collaboration with other cultural institutions. The Museum's programs include community outreach, such as teaching children how to write, direct and stage live theatre, and the annual Theatre Museum Awards for Excellence ceremony. Its primary mission is to preserve, protect and perpetuate the legacy of theatre through innovative programming.

The Municipal Art Society of New York is a private, non-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote a more livable city. Since 1893, the MAS has worked to enrich the culture, neighborhoods and physical design  of New York City. It advocates for excellence in urban design and planning, contemporary architecture, historic preservation and public art.