New World Stages

New World Stages
Dodger Stages (2004–2006)
New World Stages, 2007
Map
Address340 West 50th Street
New York City
United States
Coordinates40°45′46″N 73°59′15″W / 40.76277°N 73.98758°W / 40.76277; -73.98758
OwnerThe Shubert Organization
TypeOff-Broadway
CapacityStage 1: 499
Stage 2: 350
Stage 3: 499
Stage 4: 350
Stage 5: 199
Construction
Opened2004 (2004)
ArchitectBeyer Blinder Belle
Website
www.newworldstages.com

New World Stages is a five-theater, Off-Broadway performing arts complex in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It is between 49th and 50th Streets beneath the plaza of the Worldwide Plaza complex at Eighth Avenue.

History

Constructed on the site of the third Madison Square Garden, New World Stages was originally built as a Loews Cineplex Entertainment multiplex cinema at Worldwide Plaza. The Worldwide Cinemas multiplex opened in June 1989[1] and was originally operated by the Cineplex Odeon Corporation.[2] The Loews Cineplex at Worldwide Plaza closed in early 2001 after its operator went bankrupt.[3][4] The former multiplex temporarily served as office space for accounting firm Deloitte later that year after that firm's offices were destroyed in the September 11 attacks.[5]

Dodger Stage Holding Theatricals leased the complex in 2002 with plans to convert the former six-screen multiplex into five Off-Broadway stages.[6][7] The movie theater complex reopened as Dodger Stages in 2004 following substantial renovations. The architects were Beyer Blinder Belle, the theatre designers were Sachs Morgan, and the interior designer was Klara Zieglerova. Since that time, the theater complex has housed many commercial theatrical productions, as well as numerous corporate events, readings, and concerts.[8] Dodger Stages was renamed New World Stages on March 16, 2006, concurrent with Stage Entertainment’s assuming sole ownership of the complex. Since November 17, 2014, the venue has been owned and operated by The Shubert Organization.[9]

In addition to new Off-Broadway productions, New World Stages has become a home to shows that were previously on Broadway, including Avenue Q, The 39 Steps, Million Dollar Quartet, Peter and the Starcatcher, Jersey Boys, and The Play That Goes Wrong. This producing tactic has been utilized to encourage the extension of a show's commercial run. The venue has also become a location for the piggybacking model, whereby multiple shows adjust their playing times and share the same theater, set, and tech personnel to lower the costs of keeping an open-ended Off-Broadway show running. The theatres and lobby are also available for special events, including conferences, readings, workshops and receptions.[10]

Statistics

New World Stages houses five theaters. Stages 1 and 3 have a maximum of 499 seats each, Stages 2 and 4 have a maximum of 350 seats each, and Stage 5 has a maximum of 199 seats. These capacities, greater than 100, fewer than 500, define New World Stages as an Off-Broadway complex. (Theaters with fewer than 100 seats are Off-Off-Broadway; theaters with 500 or more seats that are in the theater district are classified as Broadway level.) The maximum weekly capacity, assuming five shows running concurrently in the five theaters, each for eight performances per week, is 15,176 people.

The complete square footage of the underground complex is 61,300 square feet (5,690 m2), and it reaches underground the length of a full city block, from 49th Street to 50th Street.

Show history

The following information is taken from the Internet Off-Broadway Database. New World Stages has been home to a variety of Off-Broadway shows in its brief history, ranging in theme from a water based puppet show to a zombie musical. Current productions are in bold.

Stage 1

499 Seats

Stage 2

350 Seats

  • Pieces (of Ass), December 7, 2004 – March 27, 2005
  • Drumstruck, May 12, 2005 – November 12, 2006
  • Bill W. and Dr. Bob, February 16, 2007 – June 10, 2007
  • Celia, August 28, 2007 – May 25, 2008
  • Flamingo Court, July 17, 2008 – September 28, 2008
  • Rooms – A Rock Romance, February 27, 2009 – May 10, 2009
  • Gazillion Bubble Show, September 2009 – Present (moved from Stage 3)
  • Voca People, February 16, 2012 – September 2, 2012
  • Jackie Hoffman's A Chanukah Carol, December 8, 2012 - December 29, 2012[23]
  • Greed: A Musical for Our Times, March 19, 2014 - April 19, 2014
  • Blank! The Musical, November 1, 2014 - November 30, 2014
  • Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus LIVE!, October 22, 2015 – November 29, 2015[24]
  • One Funny Mother, March 31, 2016 – January 7, 2017[25]
  • Katsura Sunshine's Rakugo, September 19, 2019 – Present

Stage 3

499 Seats

  • Mandy Patinkin in Concert, September 20, 2004 – October 28, 2004
  • Modern Orthodox, November 11, 2004 – May 8, 2005
  • A Mother, A Daughter, and A Gun, October 14, 2005 – November 27, 2007
  • Burleigh Grime$, May 23, 2006 – July 16, 2006
  • Mimi le Duck, November 6, 2006 – December 3, 2006
  • Gazillion Bubble Show, January 17, 2007 – September 2009 (moved to Stage 2)
  • Avenue Q, October 9, 2009 – May 26, 2019
  • Rock of Ages, June 19, 2019 – March 11, 2020
  • A Sherlock Carol, November 11, 2021 – January 2, 2022
  • ¡Americano!, March 31, 2022 – June 19, 2022
  • A Sherlock Carol, November 21, 2022 – January 1, 2023
  • Dog Man: The Musical, March 4, 2023 - April 30, 2023
  • Rock and Roll Man, June 3, 2023 – September 1, 2023[26]
  • Mind Mangler: A Night of Tragic Illusion, November 10, 2023 – January 28, 2024[27]
  • Stalker, March 18, 2024 – September 1, 2024[28]
  • Drag: The Musical, September 30, 2024 – Present[29]

Stage 4

350 Seats

Stage 5

199 Seats

  • Symphonie Fantastique: August 31, 2004 – January 2, 2005
  • The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!), February 2, 2005 – November 13, 2005
  • Christine Jorgensen Reveals, December 29, 2005 – January 18, 2006
  • Sidd: A New Musical, February 23, 2006 – March 26, 2006
  • How to Save the World and Find True Love in 90 Minutes, November 4, 2006 – December 31, 2006
  • Sealed for Freshness, February 15, 2007 – April 29, 2007
  • My First Time, July 12, 2007 – January 22, 2010
  • The All-American Sport of Bi-Partisan Bashing, August 6, 2007 – October 14, 2007
  • Make Me a Song, October 30, 2007 – December 30, 2007
  • Pinkalicious, the Musical, January 12, 2008 – September 21, 2008
  • Tim Minchin, March 5, 2008 – April 12, 2008
  • The Castle, March 30, 2008 – May 23, 2009
  • East 14th, June 26, 2008 – September 6, 2008
  • What's That Smell: The Music of Jacob Sterling, November 1, 2008 – December 28, 2008
  • Flamingo Court, April 18, 2009 – July 19, 2009[34]
  • For Lovers Only (Love Songs...Nothing But Love Songs, April 24, 2009 – August 3, 2009
  • Love Child, October 23, 2009 – January 3, 2010
  • The Temperamentals, February 18, 2010 – May 30, 2010
  • John Tartaglia's ImaginOcean, March 17, 2010 – September 4, 2011
  • Devil Boys from Beyond, November 3, 2010 – December 4, 2010
  • La Barberia, February 3, 2011 – June 12, 2011
  • Freud's Last Session, October 7, 2011 – July 22, 2012
  • In the Bar of a Tokyo Hotel, October 13, 2012 – October 28, 2012
  • Forever Dusty, November 11, 2012 – April 7, 2013
  • The Two-Character Play, June 13, 2013 – September 29, 2013
  • Murder for Two, November 6, 2013 – June 29, 2014
  • Stalking the Bogeyman, September 12, 2014 – November 9, 2014
  • Churchill, February 6, 2015 – July 12, 2015
  • Would You Still Love Me If..., October 10, 2015 – October 26, 2015
  • Mad Libs Live!, November 1, 2015 – January 3, 2016[35]
  • Real Men: The Musical, November 12, 2015 – December 12, 2015[36]
  • The Woodsman, January 27, 2016 – May 29, 2016[37]
  • A Class Act, July 9, 2016 – August 28, 2016[38]
  • Verso, September 19, 2016 – November 27, 2016[39]
  • Church & State, March 3, 2017 – June 4, 2017
  • Puffs, or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic, July 8, 2017 – August 18, 2019[40]
  • MsTRIAL, November 14, 2019 – February 2, 2020
  • Drift, February 29, 2020 – March 11, 2020
  • The Alchemist, November 7, 2021 – December 15, 2021
  • Little Girl Blue, March 5, 2022 – May 29, 2022[41]
  • Without You, January 14, 2023 – June 11, 2023[42]
  • Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors, September 4, 2023 – January 7, 2024[43]
  • The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers, February 14, 2024 – June 2, 2024[44]
  • Mama, I'm A Big Girl Now!, November 2, 2024 – Present[45]

The Green Room

The Green Room is a bar and lounge area located downstairs at New World Stages. Drinks bought from The Green Room are allowed to be brought into the theaters.

From October 14, 2016 through March 11, 2020, The Green Room was home to The Imbible: A Spirited History of Drinking.[46]

References

  1. ^ Yarrow, Andrew L. (June 12, 1989). "Movies Are Adding To Prices and Places". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  2. ^ Dunlap, David W. (October 9, 1986). "Changes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  3. ^ Furman, Phyllis (February 16, 2001). "Loews in bankruptcy role". Daily News. p. 47. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  4. ^ Pristin, Terry (June 13, 2001). "Loews Seeks to Sublease One Theater and Sell Three Others". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  5. ^ Steinhauer, Jennifer (September 15, 2001). "After the Attacks: City Hall; A Race for Space, and Incentives, to Keep Companies in City". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  6. ^ McKinley, Jesse (July 26, 2002). "Broadway Company to Convert Former Movie Complex Into Theaters". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  7. ^ Jacobs, Leonard (August 8, 2002). "Dodgers Worldwide". Back Stage. Vol. 43, no. 31. p. 1. ProQuest 221119820.
  8. ^ Grimes, William (October 22, 2004). "A Cineplex Beaten Into a Theaterplex". The New York Times.
  9. ^ "Edgar Allan Poe-Inspired Nevermore Set for Run at New World Stages". TheaterMania. November 19, 2014.
  10. ^ "- New World Stages : Events -". nwsevents.com. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  11. ^ Gans, Andrew (January 4, 2009). "Rock of Ages Ends Off-Broadway Run Jan. 4 Prior to Broadway Transfer". Playbill.
  12. ^ "Maurice Hines Will Bring Autobiographical Tappin' Thru Life Off-Broadway". Broadway.com. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  13. ^ BWW News Desk. "Off-Broadway's iLUMINATE Begins Holiday Performances At New World Stages". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  14. ^ Stevens, Matt (June 3, 2017). "'Building the Wall,' Which Imagines Life After Trump, to Close". New York Times. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  15. ^ American Theatre Wing, "Working in the Theatre: Building the Wall", November 30, 2016
  16. ^ "Jersey Boys Off-Broadway @ New World Stages". playbill.com. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  17. ^ "Melissa Etheridge Will Bring Solo Show MY WINDOW - A JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE to New World Stages in October". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  18. ^ "Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish Will Return Off-Broadway This Fall". playbill.com. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  19. ^ "iLuminate Plans Holiday New York Return". playbill.com. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  20. ^ "New 1960's Pop Musical A Sign of the Times Will Premiere Off-Broadway". Playbill.com. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  21. ^ "Cast Set for Cady Huffman-Directed NYC Premiere of Empire: the Musical". Playbill.com. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  22. ^ "Teeth Dates Open-Ended Off-Broadway Run, Drops Cast Album". playbill.com. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  23. ^ "Jackie Hoffman's A Chanukah Charol". Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  24. ^ "Current Broadway Shows and More | Telecharge".
  25. ^ BWW News Desk. "Dena Blizzard's ONE FUNNY MOTHER to Open at New World Stages". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  26. ^ "Joe Pantoliano Will Join Constantine Maroulis in Off-Broadway's Rock & Roll Man". playbill.com. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  27. ^ "Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer to Open New Mischief Comedy Mind Mangler Off-Broadway". playbill.com. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  28. ^ "Magicians and Illusionists Peter Brynolf and Jonas Ljung to Present STALKER at New World Stages". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  29. ^ "Drag: The Musical Will Play Off-Broadway With a Cast of Drag Race Stars". playbill.com. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  30. ^ Chow, Andrew R. (September 13, 2015). "Shear Madness Opening in New York for the First Time". Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  31. ^ "Roseanne Writer to Debut Not That Jewish Off-Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  32. ^ Levitt, Hayley (June 19, 2017). "The Government Inspector to Transfer to New World Stages". Theatermania. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  33. ^ Levitt, Hayley (June 28, 2017). "A Clockwork Orange to Make New York Stage Debut". Theatermania. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  34. ^ "Flamingo Court". Broadway.com.
  35. ^ "Family-Friendly Mad Libs Live Set to Premiere Off-Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  36. ^ "Current Broadway Shows and More | Telecharge".
  37. ^ "The History of THE WOODSMAN Play".
  38. ^ Denney, Andrew (June 21, 2016). "Class Action Attorney's Play Set for Off-Broadway Debut". www.newyorklawjournal.com. New York Law Journal.
  39. ^ "Helder Guimaraes' Magic Act Verso Will Play Off-Broadway". Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  40. ^ Khaytman, Irvin (June 6, 2017). "'Harry Potter' play 'Puffs' moves to a whole New World Stages". Hypable. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  41. ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe (December 17, 2021). "'LITTLE GIRL BLUE to Open at New World Stages February 2022". Hypable. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  42. ^ Wild, Stephi (November 1, 2022). "'Anthony Rapp Will Bring His Show WITHOUT YOU Off-Broadway in 2023". Hypable. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  43. ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (June 21, 2023). "Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors Will Haunt Off-Broadway This Fall With a Gen-Z, Pansexual Vampire". Hypable. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  44. ^ Hall, Margaret (December 6, 2023). "'Alex Brightman's The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers to Play Off-Broadway". Hypable. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  45. ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (September 9, 2024). "'Hairspray's OG Leading Ladies Are Reuniting Off-Broadway'". Hypable. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  46. ^ "The Imbible – A Spirited History of Drinking". imbible.org. Retrieved October 5, 2016.