After 46 Years and 217 Productions, Westchester Broadway Theatre Has Closed
(© John Vecchiolla)
The venerable Westchester Broadway Theatre, the longest-operating year-round professional Equity theater in New York State, has closed its doors after 46 years, a victim of the Covid shutdown. The announcement was made in a letter from co-founders Bob Funking and Bill Stutler that was sent to the staff, and reported in Westchester's Journal News.
The dinner theater opened its doors on July 19, 1974, with a production of Kiss Me, Kate. Over the course of its history, it has presented 217 main stage productions, and nearly 1,000 special events and concerts. Broadway veterans who took part in productions include Faith Prince, Robert Cuccioli, Jennifer Damiano, Carolee Carmello, and Will Swenson, among others. Directors and choreographers who got their start at the theater include Susan Stroman, Kathleen Marshall, Rob Marshall, and Rob Ashford.
The last production, All Shook Up, began its run on March 5, before being shut down due to Covid concerns. The season was scheduled into include Cinderella, 9 to 5, and Kinky Boots. One of the theater's most successful shows was Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit's musical Phantom, which played multiple engagements through the years.
According to the Journal News, the interior of the building will be gutted and turned into a warehouse.
