Broadway is set to honor the legendary Lena Horne with her own theatre.
On November 1st, the Brooks Atkinson Theatre will be changed to the Lena Horne Theatre. The celebration will take place on 47th in New York City and it will include special performances, a block party, and remarks of Horne.
According to The Root, this theater will be the latest one to be renamed after the Cort Theatre was renamed after James Earl Jones in September. The Nederlander Organization released a statement saying, “By renaming this theatre, a new generation of theatergoers will be introduced to the legendary Lena Horne, an entertainer who broke barriers for other Black women to follow in her footsteps, and through this recognition will continue to inspire future generations of theatergoers.”
These special dedications are a part of the 2020 initiative Black Theatre United and Broadway theater owners as a way to “honor Black theater artists by renaming at least one of their venues.”
Ron Simons, a veteran theater producer, spoke with the aforementioned publication about having Black people more involved in theater. “I tell people, ‘If you throw a party and you want people to come, then you need to invite them.’ I feel like we’ve fallen down on the part where we’re supposed to invite people to be a part of the experience.”
How do you feel about this?