Westchester Broadway Theatre Closes Permanently
ELMSFORD, NY — The Westchester Broadway Theatre announced it will be closing its doors — because of the new coronavirus pandemic.
Co-founders Bob Funking and Bill Stutler made the announcement of the closing in a letter to the theater's employees.
The letter said it was with great sadness that the theater was being shut down and that the prospects for live theater look dim for the foreseeable future.
Funking and Stutler said the building will be turned into a warehouse.
The theater was in Elmsford in the town of Greenburgh.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo shut down theaters in March at the beginning of the pandemic. In late June, the Broadway League — an organization composed of theater owners and other influential industry figures — announced all Broadway productions will be suspended until at least Jan. 3, 2021.
Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner told Patch the closing of the Westchester Broadway Theatre was "upsetting news."
He said he attended many of their productions, adding that an uncle, who died at the age of 100, alway looked forward being taken to the shows and felt going there was a highlight of his last years.
"It's sad that we are losing some quality culture and arts in our county," Feiner said. "They were remarkable — a for-profit theater that received no government help over the years."
The Westchester Broadway Theatre opened in July 1974, offering dinner and a Broadway-style production. The first show was "Kiss Me, Kate."
The theater became the longest running year-round professional Equity theater in the state, according to the theater's website.
Among the actors who performed at the theater were Scott Bakula, Holland Taylor, Estelle Harris and Faith Prince.
On nights when a musical was being presented, the theater would often present special events and concerts featuring such performers as Tom Jones, George Carlin, Paul Anka, Wayne Newton and Harry Belafonte.
The theater is expected to announce what will happen with tickets and gift certificates that were purchases but not used because of the pandemic shutdown, Westfaironline.com said.
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This article originally appeared on the Tarrytown-Sleepy Hollow Patch
