The beautifully restored James Earl Jones Theatre on Broadway is the only surviving and still active theatre in the Theatre District designed by architect Thomas Lamb. It reopened in 2022 after an extensive renovation of the existing theatre and an addition of a five-story, 20,000 SF annex. That’s no mean feat since both the interior and exterior are landmarked by New York City!
One interesting detail had nearly disappeared due to disuse. The original proscenium arch had illuminated blue art glass visible through a latticed pattern in the plaster, but the lighting had not been used for quite some time. Our lighting designers saw this opportunity and created a new LED backlighting scheme for the art glass in the refurbished proscenium.
Moving from stage to house, our team had plenty to do! Incandescent A-lamp cove lights were replaced with LED fixtures. The fixtures were carefully mocked up in the space to ensure the color temperature enhanced the restored Louis XVI-era paint colors accurately, and the dimming was as close as possible to the dimming curve of an incandescent source.
Our positive collaboration with the Shubert Organization, Kostow Greenwood Architects, and Francesca Russo yielded the beautifully renovated James Earl Jones Theatre. It is both a restoration of a historic theatre and the creation of a new, modern lobby and amenity spaces in the adjacent annex.
