Count Basie Theatre
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The "Count Basie Theatre" is an historic landmark that operates as a theatre for performing arts in Red Bank, New Jersey. It opened as the Carlton Theater in 1926 and was renamed in 1984 to honor jazz great and Red Bank native William "Count" Basie. It has seating capacity for 1,543 patrons.
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[edit] History
Edward Franklin Albee II opened the Carlton on November 11, 1926 as one of a series of elaborate new Keith-Albee vaudeville theatres. The ill-advised investment came at a time when less expensive movies were replacing vaudeville and Albee was soon pushed out. The theatre chain was absorbed into Keith-Albee-Orpheum in 1928 and was soon controlled by Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr..
Opening night in 1926 included vaudeville acts and the feature film “The Quarterback,” starring Richard Dix. Nearly four thousand people attended two shows that night, with crowds gathering two hours before the first performance. The Register called the new theatre “…a marvel of beauty, convenience and comfort. Outside and inside it is a veritable and architectural triumph.”
The theatre was one of the highlights of nightlife in downtown Red Bank for many years. Finally, in 1970, after the closing of the Strand, Palace, Empire, and Lyric Theatres, the last of the great local theatres went dark.
In 1973, a significant anonymous donation allowed the Monmouth County Arts Council to preserve and reopen the historic theatre for cultural uses. The theatre was renamed the Monmouth Arts Center. In 1984, it was rechristened the Count Basie Theatre, in memorial to the recently deceased jazz pianist, bandleader, composer, and Red Bank native William “Count” Basie. The arts council operated the theatre until June 30, 1999, when the not-for-profit corporation Count Basie Theatre, Inc. was established to manage, program, and preserve the theatre.
[edit] Shows
Besides Count Basie, legends such as James Brown and Tony Bennett, as well as headline performers like Al Green, George Carlin, Olivia Newton John, Brian Wilson, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and Jon Stewart have all played at the theatre. Jersey Shore legend Bruce Springsteen has made several surprise guest appearances. Cats the Musical performed there. The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and the Monmouth Symphony Orchestra are regularly scheduled. The theatre collaborated in the development of the Shapiro & Smith Dance Company’s original production “Anytown.” The theatre is made available for local not-for-profit arts organizations.
[edit] Community outreach
The Count’s Cool School program offers professional training courses in performance basics, audition techniques, professional development, and weekend workshops to aspiring actors, musicians, and dancers of all ages.
On May 26, 2006, the theatre presented its first annual Basie Awards honoring excellence in high school theatre in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The May 2008 presentations are to be hosted by Joe Piscopo.
[edit] The building
Between 1995 and 2001, the arts council/corporation conducted a series of phased projects to repair and stabilize the infrastructure of the building. Phase 1 of a new renovation series was completed in 2004, replacing all the seating with new, historically accurate seats; adding alabaster lighting fixtures to the auditorium; and restoring and painting a side-panel of plasterwork. Over $1 million has been expended on theatre improvements to date, funded by donations and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Plans for future renovations include restoring and repainting the auditorium’s decorative plaster, an expanded lobby, and backstage improvements.
Seating includes 1,008 orchestra, 121 loge, 402 balcony, and 12 wheelchair accessible platforms.
