On Friday, September 9, 2022, the Cort Theatre on Broadway in New York will unveil the name James Earl Jones after undergoing extensive renovations.
On Monday, the theatre will be officially renamed after James Earl Jones, making it the second theatre on Broadway to bear the name of a Black performer.
To promote fairness, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in the theatre industry, a broad Broadway coalition of theatre owners.
Producers, union leaders, creators, and casting directors has hammered out a number of reforms and agreements.
The recently renovated Cort Theatre on Broadway is now known as the James Earl Jones, making it the second Broadway venue to honour a black performer or composer.
Ceremony participants on Monday heard from Mayor Eric Adams, Samuel L. Jackson, and LaTanya Richardson Jackson, and listened to Norm Lewis perform.
“Go the Distance” and Brian Stokes Mitchell perform “Make Them Hear You.” Jones, who is 91 years old, was not present.
Legendary James Earl Jones Received a Rare Honour
On Monday, the legendary stage and screen actor James Earl Jones was given a rare honour when a Broadway theatre was renamed after him.
A marquee that had read “Cort Theatre” became visible upon pressing a button. The name has been changed to honour James Earl Jones.
Jones, who appeared in “On Golden Pond” at the theatre that now bears his name in 2005, told CBS2’s Dana Tyler that he had visited the venue many times over the previous decade.
‘Sunrise in Campobello’ was my first play, and I’ll be performing at the same theatre where it all began. The 91-year-old was unable to attend the event on Monday, but she sent a video greeting.
Starring in cult classics like “Star Wars” and “The Lion King,” Jones has also made 21 Broadway appearances.
Conclusion
After promising to name a Broadway theatre after a Black performer, the Shubert Organization has decided to rename the Cort Theatre on Broadway after James Earl Jones.
It is “in celebration of Mr. Jones’ lifetime of great achievements to Broadway and the wider cultural community.”
As stated by the Shubert Organization in a statement justifying the renaming of the Shubert Theatre to the James Earl Jones Theatre.
This decision was made less than a year after a broad coalition of Broadway theatre owners, producers, union leaders, creators, and casting directors negotiated.
A set of reforms and obligations for the theatrical business to achieve fairness, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.
