The Tony Award-winning production company Seaview has taken over managing and operating the Tony Kiser Theatre. Located on 43rd Street in Manhattan, the 296-seat venue for many years hosted the Off-Broadway productions for Second Stage Theater. The 98-year-old theater will be rebranded as Studio Seaview, with an inaugural Sam Gold-directed production slated for spring 2025.
“Seaview is thrilled to take on this exciting new venture,” said Greg Nobile, co-founder and CEO of Seaview, in a statement. “Seaview has been lucky enough to be working Off-Broadway since the company’s inception. We are proud to join the community of theater operators and producers to bring more bold work to the city.”
As part of the venue’s team, Seaview has enlisted Carol Fineman, former managing director of Second Stage. Fineman, who was part of the group which established the Kiser as a homebase for Second Stage in 1999, will serve as general manager for Studio Seaview. Tony-winning scenic designer Scott Pask will oversee the transformation of the space to align with Seaview’s vision while preserving the design created by architect Rem Koolhaas in 1999.
Co-founded in 2012 by Nobile and Jana Shea, Seaview has produced extensively both on and Off-Broadway. On the Main Stem, Seaview produced the 2024 Tony Award winner for Best Play “Stereophonic” and 2023 Best Revival of a Musical winner “Parade,” as well as “Slave Play,” “An Enemy of the People,” “Lempicka” and “Illinoise.” Seaview is represented this season with the recently closed “Once Upon a Mattress,” the currently running “Romeo + Juliet” and “All In: Comedy About Love,” as well as the upcoming “Good Night, and Good Luck” and “The Last Five Years.” Off-Broadway, Seaview recently produced “Hold On to Me Darling” and “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea” at the Lucille Lortel Theatre and a site-specific “Sweeney Todd” at the Barrow Street Theatre.
“This is an opportunity to deepen our commitment to the renaissance of Off-Broadway — to keep a beloved, historic theater intact while expanding our ability as a company to showcase exceptional creativity, in an intimate setting, and without the constraints of a traditional Broadway model,” said Seaview’s chief operation officer Nate Koch in a statement
“The freedom of Off-Broadway allows us to take creative risks and explore new theatrical territory,” continued Nobile. “We are excited to program the space with shows that challenge the traditional theater model and that might not find room on a Broadway stage. This is a place where we can nurture work that excites us and that we believe will resonate with audiences. Our approach to Studio Seaview is one that prioritizes both the artistic process and the audience experience.”
Seaview’s lease on the venue began on Jan. 1. There is, however, a possibility for the venue’s future development by its building’s owner, Trans World Equities Inc., which has indicated to Seaview that the theater company would receive at least one year’s notice if they need to depart.
Details for the first Studio Seaview production, including title, cast, creative team and timeline, will be announced.
