Broadway’s 110-Year Old Cort Theater, To Be Named After James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is no stranger to the Broadway stage and in his rightful honor will have the 110-year-old Cort Theater named after him.
According to Deadline, The Shubert Organization announced Wednesday that the venue will be changed to the ‘James Earl Jones Theatre’, “in recognition of Mr. Jones’s lifetime of immense contributions to Broadway and the entire artistic community.”
“The Shubert Organization is so incredibly honored to put James—an icon in the theatre community, the Black community, and the American community—forever in Broadway’s lights,” Robert E. Wankel, Shubert CEO and board chair, said. “That James deserves to have his name immortalized on Broadway is without question.”
Jones was quoted as saying, “For me standing in this very building sixty-four years ago at the start of my Broadway career, it would have been inconceivable that my name would be on the building today. Let my journey from then to now be an inspiration for all aspiring actors.”
He was first cast on Broadway as an understudy in 1957 and has since appeared in over 21 Broadway productions, which include his Tony-award-winning performances in The Great White Hope in 1969 and Fences in 1987.
Because of the pandemic, The Cort had been closed for renovations hoping to open its doors with a newly built wing, as the 'James Earl Jones Theatre', this summer.
