Have you ever had that feeling when you walk into an empty theater and suddenly know you’re in a special place? The hallowed walls hold energies that you sense, but certainly can’t see. Nothing but you and a ghost light. It’s like stepping into an empty church or synagogue or mosque or temple. Sacred. What does it feel like when you walk into a theater?
My experiences in empty theaters have often felt otherworldly. As a young publicist, one of my favorite tasks was to go to the theater and post press happenings on the call board. To spend a few moments in such a magical space by myself was always worth my time and energy, especially in certain buildings. I often spent several minutes standing on the stage to take it all in. Just me, the doorperson and the ghost light. These are some of my fondest memories.
Working for a variety of offices over the years on shows as varied as Tony Award-winning musicals (“Billy Elliot,” “Memphis” and Disney’s “The Lion King”), starry play revivals (“A Raisin in the Sun” with Denzel Washington and “This is Our Youth” with Kieran Culkin, Tavi Gevinson and Michael Cera), some interesting limited appearances (anyone remember when the band The Rascals played three weeks at the Rodgers? How about “The Illusionists”?), not to mention a couple of flops, has afforded me some incredible access to empty Broadway houses. The Lyceum. The Imperial. The Barrymore. The Lunt-Fontanne. The Shubert! The Palace before its renovation. To this day, the Hirschfeld is singularly special to me.
