In a recent dedication ceremony, Broadway’s 110-year-old and extensively rebuilt Cort Theatre was formally christened The James Earl Jones Theatre in honour of American actor James Earl Jones.
Samuel L. Jackson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Norm Lewis, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, according to Deadline, were present during the ceremony.
The Shubert Organization facility is now the second Broadway theatre named after a Black musician according to this rebranding, which was revealed last March.
As per Variety, in a video played during the ceremony, taped when Jones and his family toured the renovated theatre privately, the 91-year-old actor said, ‘I spoke my first line ever on Broadway in this theatre. I was a kid.’
The James Earl Jones Theatre recently underwent a $47 million renovation, which included the restoration and expansion of the 110-year-old building on West 48th Street.
The theater’s owner, Shubert, hired Francesca Russo Architect to oversee a significant repair.
According to Variety, the theater’s name change to honour the seasoned actor was previously announced and came as a result of a rebranding commitment made by Shubert and other Broadway theatre owners in response to the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement.
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