August Wilson Theatre

The August Wilson Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 245 West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan. The theatre, named after Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright August Wilson (1945-2005), is owned and operated by Jordan Roth of Jujamcyn Theaters.[1] The theatre has 1,222 seats, and its longest-running show was Jersey Boys (2005-2017).[2]

"Virginia Theatre" redirects here. For the theatre in Champaign, Illinois, see Virginia Theatre (Champaign).
August Wilson Theatre
Guild Theatre, ANTA Theatre, Virginia Theatre
August Wilson Theatre showing Jersey Boys, 2007
Address245 West 52nd Street
New York City
United States
Coordinates40.763308°N 73.984214°W / 40.763308; -73.984214
OwnerJujamcyn Theaters
TypeBroadway
Capacity1,222
Construction
Opened1925
ArchitectC. Howard Crane and Kenneth Franzheim
Website
www.jujamcyn.com

History
Theresa Helburn laying the cornerstone of the Guild Theatre in 1924
August Wilson Theatre at night
Virginia Theatre, 2002

Designed by architects C. Howard Crane and Kenneth Franzheim and constructed by the Theatre Guild, it opened as the Guild Theatre in 1925 with a revival of George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra. Theresa Helburn of the Theatre Guild presided over the groundbreaking ceremony.

In 1943, the building was leased to WOR-Mutual Radio as a studio. The American National Theater and Academy purchased it in 1950 and renamed it the ANTA Theatre. In 1981, the theatre was purchased by Jujamcyn Theaters and named the Virginia Theatre for owner and Jujamcyn Board member Virginia McKnight Binger.

After her husband, James H. Binger's death in 2004, producer and president of Jujamcyn Rocco Landesman announced that he planned to buy Jujamcyn. He told The New York Times he had a long-standing understanding with Binger that he would buy the corporation's five playhouses. The theatres had an estimated net asset value of $30 million.

On October 16, 2005, fourteen days after American playwright August Wilson's death, the theatre was renamed in his honor. That same year, Jordan Roth joined Jujamcyn Theaters.

In 2009, Landesman was tapped by the Obama administration to head the National Endowment for the Arts Foundation. Landesman sold half his interest to the successful 33-year-old theater producer, Jordan Roth. Roth assumed full control of operations as Landesman departed for the NEA and still owns and operates the company today.[3]

The theatre has been closed as of March 12, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It does not plan on opening until late 2021.[4] However, Mean Girls will not return once Broadway reopens. It has played its final performance on March 11, 2020 after 29 previews and 804 performances.[5]

Box office record

Mean Girls achieved the box office record for the August Wilson Theatre. The production grossed $1,994,386 for the week ending December 30, 2018.[6]

Notable productions

References
  1. Jones, Kenneth (2013-01-22). "Jordan Roth Is Now Principal Owner of Broadway's Jujamcyn Theaters". Playbill. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  2. "August Wilson Theatre". Playbill. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  3. Cohen, Patricia (2009-09-08). "Jujamcyn Names Jordan Roth President, Signaling a Broadway Youth Trend". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  4. Moniuszko, Sara M (June 29, 2020). "Broadway suspends performances through 2020 amid coronavirus, extends ticket refunds to 2021". Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  5. https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Breaking-News-MEAN-GIRLS-Will-Not-Re-Open-on-Broadway-20210107
  6. "10 Broadway Box Office Records That Were Shattered Last Week". New York Shows. Retrieved 2019-04-01.
  7. Parker, John (ed), Who's Who in the Theatre, 10th revised edition, London, 1947: 1430

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