The Broadway Theater will be renamed for icon Lena Horne in Historic First

Historically, the Dutch organization will name one of its Broadway theaters in honor of Lena Horn, a great performer and civil rights activist, the company said today. The venue, currently the Brooks Atkinson Theater, will be the first Broadway venue for a black woman.

The new name, The Lena Horne Theater, will be made official during the renaming ceremony in the fall. The site currently hosts the hit Broadway musical Six.

“We are proud to take this opportunity to name one of our theaters after the great civil rights activist, actress and singer Lena Horn,” said James L. Netherlands in a statement to the Nederlander Organization. “It is a great honor for me to meet Lena. Over the years you have become a member of our family. It means a lot to me that my father was a producer. Lena Horn: Lady and her musicAnd it is my privilege, honor and duty to remember Lena for future generations. “

The name change is the latest fulfillment of a promise made last year by the owners of three major Broadway theaters (in agreement with Black Theater United). Name at least one of your theaters for a black artist. In March, Schubert’s organization announced that the 110-year-old Court Theater would be renamed the James Earl Jones Theater.

Jujamcyn Theaters was renamed Virginia Theater in 2005 in honor of the playwright as August Wilson Theater.

Horn, who died in 2010, was one of the most successful and influential singers of the 20th century and had a groundbreaking 70-year career spanning Hollywood films, television, nightclubs, concerts and Broadway.

In 1981 he inaugurated the famous show Lena Horn: Lady and her music At the Theater of the Netherlands. For the program, she received a Special Tone Award and two Grammy Awards. James M. Netherlands, James (Jimmy) L. The father of the Netherlands, was one of the main producers of the production.

Horn’s other Broadway subtitles include his 1934 debut Dance with your gods, Lou Leslie Black Birds 1939. Jamaica (earning a Tony nomination in 1958) and 1974, Tony and Lena sing With Tony Bennet.

The 1,069-seat theater at 256 W. 47th Street, renamed Horn, opened in 1926 as the Mansfield Theater and in 1950 was leased to CBS as Studio 59. The venue was named after former New York Times theater critic Brooks Atkinson. When he returned to theatrical performances in the 1960s.

In a statement, Gail Lumet Buckley, daughter of the Horn and Horn family, said: “On February 13, 1939, Brooke Atkinson wrote a review of the musical. black birds 1939 For what Ნ New York Times. Her review was generally unfavorable, except for the mention of “a radiantly beautiful girl, Lena Horn, who will be a winner as soon as she gets in the right direction”. The right direction came from within Lena herself. You sought art education and political education. She sought her own voice, found it, and then fought for the right she had always been denied: the right to tell her own story. In 1981, James Nederlander offered him the stage and Lena’s personal show. lady and her music It has been running for over a year. 366 functions, in three countries. It was his full expression as an artist and storyteller. We thank the Nederlander organization for donating this space to the Lena Horn Theater. We hope both artists and audiences will tell their stories here. “

New York Mayor Eric Adams also praised the story, saying, “As the daughter of Brooklyn, civil rights leader, artist and activist, there is no one who embodies the spirit of this great city better than Lena Horn. By renaming it, the cult New Yorker will take its place in the cult industry of New York, introducing the new generations to this beautiful theater. This is a fantastic decision by Jimmy Holland and the Dutch organization and I can’t wait to continue all of our great places as we recover from COVID and once again welcome the world on our doorstep.

Six-time Tony Award-winning actress Audrey McDonald said, “I am delighted that the Dutch organization respects Lena Horn’s strong legacy and that the theater has been renamed in her honor. Representation is everything. A black woman who is recognized and memorized in this way is strong. Lena Horn was a woman of fierce talent, incredible strength and deep faith. With the utmost grace, she broke down the barriers. In addition to her tireless work on stage and screen, she was a civil rights activist who continues to inspire many of us today. Recently named after her, the Lena Horn Theater confirms that you can see black women and girls; We understand that we belong and when we are in her theater, we stand even higher on her mighty shoulders and her lasting legacy. This is a truly historic day ”.

Tony Lachanze winner said, “Lena Horn has dedicated her life to the theater and entertainment industry for seven decades. She was a pioneer. Investigator. An inspiration to many of us who stand on her shoulders to this day. She was an outspoken civil rights advocate, using her platform for equality. And in the global quest for inclusion, I am deeply grateful that the Dutch organization committed itself to being part of this movement by renaming one of its theaters that honors the life and legacy of Lena Horn.