Performing Arts

The Lyric Theatre is a historic Broadway venue located in the heart of Times Square that is operated by the global theatre giant, Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG).  To host the North American premiere of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the Lyric underwent a complete transformation to create a 1600 plus-seat venue specifically tailored to the unique needs of the Harry Potter production.

The project involved the redesign of the theatre interior, including refurbishment of the stage, lobby, retail, and other ancillary spaces to reflect the full Harry Potter experience.  The building infrastructure underwent comprehensive upgrades and new, state-of-the-art technologies were introduced.  The façade was also restored and enhanced with new, show-specific signage.  The renovation required careful coordination across the architectural and structural scopes of work, as well as the navigation of a complicated approvals process with the City and landlord.

Founded in 1979, Second Stage is a not-for-profit theater company dedicated to producing work entirely by 21^st century American playwrights.  To expand its mission and establish a permanent home on Broadway, the organization acquired the historic Helen Hayes Theater and developed plans to establish it as a space for contemporary plays with a particular focus on works by women and minorities.

The smallest of the Broadway theaters at just under 600 seats, the Helen Hayes Theater is over one-hundred years old and has a Landmarked interior and exterior.  Second Stage embarked on a complete renovation of the building, carefully balancing the historic character of the building with a modern, contemporary aesthetic to align with the productions hosted.  Program elements included renovation of the stage house, a new counterweight rigging system, and improvements to the seating, lobby, patron amenity spaces, offices, dressing rooms and restrooms.  The scope also addressed critical upgrades to the building systems, modifications to make the facility fully accessible to attendees, and the reconstruction of a small, four-story annex adjacent to the theater.  The project involved historic tax credits, funding from the City of New York, and securing approvals from the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Committed to the transformational power of the arts, The New 42nd Street builds on the foundation of seven historic theaters to make extraordinary performing arts and cultural engagement part of everyone’s life. The New 42 opened the restored New Victory Theater in 1995 as the first theater for kids and families in New York City.

To serve the unique needs of The New Victory audience, New 42 focused on all public support spaces of the building. Four lobby spaces were upgraded: two public spaces below the street level, an orchestra-level lobby on the first floor, and a mezzanine-level lobby on the second floor. The project included significant upgrades to highlight the unique architectural character of the lobby spaces, upgraded ADA facilities, and the addition of interactive displays to allow for enhanced instructional and educational technology related to the current theater program. The scope also included upgrades to the restrooms, expanded retail and concessions space to include healthier snack options, new pantry space to include additional kitchen equipment, dry storage and sinks, and all associated MEP re-configurations and upgrades.

Originally founded in 1903, Hudson Theatre is Broadway’s oldest, and now newest, theatre and today survives as one of the last historic playhouses that symbolizes American theatre for both New York and the nation.

In 2016, led by the partnership of Ambassador Theatre Group and Millennium Hotels and Resorts, the Landmarked, Beaux-Arts-style theatre underwent a complete interior renovation that aimed to restore the building to its original beauty while providing historically-sensitive upgrades to accommodate the latest technologies in theater design.  The project included improvements to the theatre and amenities, including the box office, seating, back of house and stage facilities, and infrastructure. Specialty architectural features include a hand-woven Axminster carpet, as well as carefully restored glass ceiling domes and mosaic tile installations designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. In addition, significant backstage and technical upgrades, including new and expanded dressing rooms and fly systems were completed.