At This Theatre: The James Earl Jones

At This Theatre:

The James Earl Jones

Built in 1912, this theater was named for its owner, John Cort, and remained so until 2022, when it was renamed for renowned actor James Earl Jones. For a brief period in the late 1960s through early 1970s, it was home to The Merv Griffin Show, but otherwise, it has always been a legitimate theater. Its first tenant was Peg O' My Heart which ran a year and a half. Since then, it has been home to a variety of plays and musicals including The Jazz Singer, The Diary of Anne Frank, Purlie Victorious, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Magic Show, Sarafina! and Bright Star. The Cort has also been home to two productions that never officially opened: Bobby Boland and the original Yellow Face.

With its renaming came a significant refurbishment, including a beautiful and spacious side lobby. 

Number of Shows We've Seen There: 6 

Kat and the Kings, The Little Dog Laughed, The Lyons, The Cripple of Inishmaan, King Lear and Real Women Have Curves

Kat and the Kings To be completely honest, I don't remember much about the show other than that the performers were terrific and the music was entertaining. What I do remember about it was how I came to see it. I was on a bus trip with a friend who had an interview, and I came along at the last minute to catch a matinee while he was busy. They gave out coupons for shows and I picked this one, based on two factors: it was at a theater I had never been in, and it won the Olivier for Best Musical. But the thing that really stood out was when I went to the box office and presented my coupon. They gave me a fifth row orchestra seat on the aisle for free! Yes, a comp!

The Lyons It was twelve years later that I saw this terrific play. It was funny (biting, actually) and ultimately, touching. Looking back, it was a real opportunity to see two masters of their craft before they passed. Both the great Dick Latessa and Linda Lavin held the audience in the palm of their hands. Other favorites in the cast included Michael Esper and Brenda Pressley.

The Little Dog Laughed was my first brush with the work of Douglas Carter Beane. This play was a riot, sharp and scathing. The story of an agent who had the task of handling publicity for her movie star client who is caught in bed with his gay gigolo. It was this play that I would forever point out to people when they talk about TV stars doing Broadway shows. Tony-winner Julie White lead the cast with Tom Everett Scott as the closeted movie star, and Johnny Galecki as the gigolo.

The Cripple of Inishmaan Here was a play you'd think we saw because of its star, and that was part of the reason. But even more so, we went because we love the quirky, always shocking plays of Martin McDonagh, and this did not disappoint. And neither did Daniel Radcliffe who we had previously loved in How to Succeed...

King Lear I had a feeling that this production of my favorite Shakespearean tragedy would be a risky proposition. I wasn't wrong. From the gender-bending casting to the inclusive casting and the Philip Glass score to Sam Gold as director, I knew it would be challenging. While I am glad I had the chance to see Glenda Jackson one last time, I found her performance to be a bit messy. On the other hand I got to see Michael Arden in a rare return to acting, the great Ruth Wilson, and, unknown to me at the time, Pedro Pascal in his Broadway debut.

Real Women Have Curves My first Playbill with the new theater name on it, this show captured my heart as my sentimental favorite of last season. A great chance to see one of my favorite actresses, Justina Muchado, who was, as I suspected, a complete delight. It was also a chance to hear a new writing team, Benjamin Velez and Joy Huerta, who gave us a fun, old fashioned score with both a Latin flair and a modern sensibility. I hope we hear from them again soon. And I still maintain that had they opened in a less crowded season (like the current one) it would have been a big hit!