New Victory Theater Opens New Lobby, Holiday Show Tonight

Tonight, the audience attending the opening night of the New Victory holiday show Jason Bishop: Believe in Magic will experience the theater's reinvented public spaces designed for the 21st century family.

Two new lobbies - Jack and Lew Rudin Lobby and LuEsther's Lobby - integrate bold design, digital technology and improved accessibility to underpin the theater's commitment to arts engagement for all.

In addition to animated posters showcasing the international roster of shows on the New Victory stage, resource-efficient restrooms and complimentary patron lockers in LuEsther's Lobby, the redesigned and renamed Jack and Lew Rudin Lobby features digitally-supported family engagement activities, a new cafe and a fully-integrated accessibility ramp for equitable entry and exit.

Staffed by members of the New Victory Public Engagement team and the New Victory Usher Corps, the Jack and Lew Rudin Lobby invites families to try new skills and learn more about the artists and the themes on stage both before and after every show. During the December run of illusionist Jason Bishop's holiday-themed Believe in Magic, patrons will learn some magic tricks and the art of stage patter, and have the opportunity to perform for their peers.

"To recognize and reflect our unique audience from all over the city, including families on the weekends and large school groups on weekdays, we enlisted some of the City's best to help us create a new space that promotes access and engagement with the performing arts, two values we've used to guide us since we opened the doors to The New Victory over twenty years ago," says Cora Cahan, President of The New 42nd Street, the parent company of The New Victory Theater and the nonprofit responsible for the revitalization of the street's historic theaters.

Last night at a festive ribbon-cutting ceremony, Ms. Cahan and Board Chairman Fiona Rudin welcomed Eric Rudin and William Rudin of Rudin Management Company; Chairman Emeritus of the Mertz Gilmore Foundation Larry Condon; Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer; City Council Member Corey Johnson; Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs Tom Finkelpearl; NYC Economic Development Corporation Executive Vice President Matthew Kwatinetz; Deputy Comptroller Michael Lambert; and other distinguished guests who were instrumental in modernizing the theater's public spaces.

"It's stunning and I congratulate you. The fact that this theater promotes access and promotes engagement with the arts is what it's all about. The fact that The New Victory is the oldest operating theater in New York and has been through so many transformations, and has now reinvented itself again makes this even more exciting," said Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer.

"Cora is a relentless advocate and fighter for the Times Square area and for this theater who has seen the many life cycles that Times Square and 42nd Street has gone through. I'm really proud that the council has been a supporter of this effort," said Council Member Corey Johnson.

"Accessibility was one of the big priorities of our office's Cultural Plan and it's so wonderful to see that accessibility is a priority here. It's an incredible place," said Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl. "It was unthinkable to come to 42nd Street for kids and The New Victory pulled it off. I want to thank Cora, Fiona and the Rudin family--you are the kind of citizens that make New York City great."

"It takes many many people to bring a vision like this into being. We're all so proud and happy to be a part of the wonderful New Victory Theater," said Fiona Rudin on behalf of the many family members in attendance.

The New 42nd Street raised over $7.4 million to date for the project with $3.9 million in public support from the New York City Council, the Manhattan Borough President, and the Mayor's Office through the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. The remainder was raised from private funding, including the New 42nd Street Board of Directors and the nonprofit's generous donors.

The New Victory Theater brings kids to the arts and the arts to kids. Created in 1995 on iconic 42nd Street, this nonprofit theater has become a standard-bearer of quality performing arts for young audiences in the United States. Reflecting and serving the diverse city it calls home, The New Victory is committed to arts access for all students, teachers, kids, families and communities of New York to experience and engage with the exemplary international programming of theater, dance, circus, puppetry and more on its stages. A leader in arts education, youth employment and audience engagement, The New Victory Theater has been honored by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities with the 2014 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, by Americans for the Arts with a National Arts Education Award, and by the Drama Desk for "providing enchanting, sophisticated children's theater that appeals to the child in all of us, and for nurturing a love of theater in young people."

Founded in 1990, The New 42nd Street is an independent nonprofit organization charged with the continuous cultural revival of 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, building on the foundation of seven historic theaters to make extraordinary performing arts and cultural engagement part of everyone's life. The New 42nd Street fulfills this purpose by ensuring the ongoing vibrancy of 42nd Street's historic theaters; supporting performing artists in the creation of their work at the New 42nd Street Studios and The Duke on 42nd Street; creating arts access and education at The New Victory Theater, New York's premier theater for kids and families; and through the New 42nd Street Youth Corps, its model youth development initiative, which pairs life skills workshops and mentorship with paid employment in the arts for NYC youth. Inspired by the city it serves, The New 42nd Street is committed to the transformational power of the arts.

Pictured: Sabrina Rudin, Greg Lippmann, Matthew Kwatinetz, Tom Finkelpearl, Michael Lambert, Gale Brewer, Cora Cahan, Larry Condon, Fiona Rudin, Eric Rudin, Shahara Ahmad-Llewellyn, Susan Rudin, Samantha Rudin, with daughter and William C. Rudin. Photo by Alexis Buatti-Ramos.

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