The American Theatre for Actors Names Theater After Tony Winner John Cullum Today

Today, October 16, The Chernuchin Theatre, one of the theatres housed at The American Theatre for Actors (ATA, 314 West 54th Street, New York City) will be named for beloved Broadway legend and two-time Tony Award winner John Cullum. He is best known as Holling, the bartender in "Northern Exposure."

The newly renamed John Cullum Theatre was home to the original engagement of URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL, a co-production of The Araca Group and the Dodgers, in which Mr. Cullum was featured as the dastardly Caldwell B. Cladwell and for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical.

The renaming will take place on Friday October 16 following a performance of URINETOWN, produced by Fracture Theatre Co., a participant in The Araca Project. Fracture was founded by four recent Syracuse University graduates; URINETOWN is their first production.

After producing URINETOWN at ATA in 2001, The Araca Group returned there in 2011 to make ATA the home for The Araca Project, an initiative which fosters young theatrical entrepreneurs from select schools around the country. It is an opportunity for artists to produce their work at ATA and to attend producing intensives with New York theater professionals.

The Araca Group (Matthew Rego, Michael Rego and Hank Unger) issued a statement saying "When we told John that we wanted to name the theatre for him, he asked us if we were sure, and to please think about it over the weekend. On Monday, we were still sure. There is no one more deserving of this unique honor than the brilliantly talented and inexplicably modest John Cullum. Renaming the theatre after a performance of the show that he helped to put on the map is a perfect circle for The Araca Group, John Cullum, and Urinetown."

John Cullum's Broadway career spans from CAMELOT to CASA VALENTINA. A member of the Broadway Hall of Fame, he received Tony and Drama Desk Awards for ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY and SHENANDOAH and nominations for SIN, 110 IN THE SHADE, URINETOWN, and ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER. He also had major roles in THE SCOTTSBORO BOYS, CYMBELINE, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY and BOYS IN AUTUMN. Films include THE HISTORIAN; THE CONSPIRATORS; NIGHT LISTENER; BETTY PAGE; SECRET LIFE OF ALGERNON; 1776; SWEET COUNTRY; MARIE; ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY; ALL THE WAY HOME; and HAWAII. TV includes "Mad Men," "Law & Order: SVU," and "ER." He is best known as Holling, the bartender in "Northern Exposure."

The Araca Group -- Founded in 1997 by partners Matthew Rego, Michael Rego and Hank Unger, the Araca Group produces and merchandises live entertainment and theatrical events on Broadway and around the world. Broadway producing credits include: Urinetown: The Musical, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, Wicked, The Wedding Singer, Rock of Ages, A View from the Bridge, Lend Me a Tenor, and Disgraced. Araca recently launched Araca Media & Entertainment, a new division to develop and manage Broadway-inspired entertainment properties across film, television, digital, and live stage. For more information, visit Araca.com.

The American Theatre of Actors was founded in 1976 by James Jennings, who continues as its President and Artistic Director. It is a repertory theatre company consisting of 50 actors, 20 playwrights and 10 directors. Its purpose is to promote the development of new playwrights, directors and actors and provide them a creative atmosphere in which to work without the pressures of commercial theatre. Over 800 new works have been presented and more than 8000 actors have worked at ATA, including Dennis Quaid, Bruce Willis, Danny Aiello, Dan Lauria, Chazz Palminteri, Kevin O'Connor, Kevin Spacey, William Fichtner and Edie Falco.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski