A Broadway theater is being renamed after Hollywood legend James Earl Jones on Monday.
The refurbished Cort Theatre becomes the second on Broadway to be named after a black artist, after a venue operated by Jujamcyn Theaters was renamed the August Wilson theater shortly following the playwright’s death in 2005.
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“It means everything. You can’t think of an artist that has served America more,” director Kenny Leon told the Associated Press. “He was in the military, he did his service there. He did his service on stage, he did his service on film, television, radio. He did his service everywhere and he’s still doing it.”
Jones, the 91-year-old voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise, has starred in 21 Broadway productions and received two Tony awards. He was additionally honored with a lifetime achievement Tony. Other awards for the famed actor include two Emmys, a Golden Globe, a Grammy, the National Medal of Arts, and the Kennedy Center Honors.
The Cort Theatre has undergone a $47 million restoration and expansion project that includes wider seats, a larger stage with a trapdoor, and a larger rehearsal space above the theater that matches the stage’s footprint, according to the report. The new expansion will now provide enough space for the theater to host musicals in addition to plays.
The building also touts an expansion featuring new bathrooms for men and women, elevators in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and an upgraded wardrobe room and offices for staff.
“I couldn’t think of anybody more deserving of this honor,” Leon said. “When I think about it, I think about young kids. I think about Black kids, white and Asian kids, all kinds of kids, standing up outside of that theater and looking up and saying, ‘That’s it: The James Earl Jones Theatre. That represents the good in all of us.’”
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The first production at the refurbished building will be Ohio State Murders, starring Audra McDonald. Previews for the play will begin in November, with a formal opening in December.
The Nederlander Organization will additionally rename the Brooks Atkinson Theatre after Broadway legend Lena Horne, which will be the first Broadway theater named after a black woman.
