Broadway History: One Door, Unity at the Richard Rodgers Theatre
Our dear friend James Monroe Iglehart is currently starring as Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in Hamilton.
One thing we love the most about Broadway here at #TeamTeale is its power to unify. Everyone working on the Great White Way is creating a space where people from all walks of life can come together under one roof to jointly experience the power of live theater. In a time when our country is inundated with divisive rhetoric, we appreciate how the cast and crew of the musical Hamilton housed at the Richard Rogers Theatre remind us daily of what unites our great country.
You might not know how perfect of a match Hamilton and the Richard Rodgers Theater are. While Hamilton is a beautiful story about what unites our country, including welcoming immigrants, showcasing diversity and celebrating the American Dream, the Richard Rodgers was designed specifically to champion unity and treat all people with decency.
The Richard Rodgers Theatre was commissioned in 1925 by Irwin Chanin, a Jewish man who was the son of Polish and Ukranian immigrants. Chanin did not grow up with a lot of money and wanted to change how all patrons experienced Broadway shows, so he and theater architect Herbert J. Krapp built the Richard Rodgers so that everyone coming to see a show, whether they were sitting front-row or in the cheaper seats, would all enter the theater through the same door. This was the first time a Broadway theatre had a democratic seating plan – traditionally, those who bought balcony or mezzanine seats had to use separate entrances. The Richard Rodgers was also the first theatre built with stadium seating, so patrons in the rear of the orchestra still had an excellent view of the stage and better acoustics.
The intentional design of the Richard Rodgers Theatre serves as an example of how we can all pursue equality and justice by effecting change in our spheres of influence where we work, live and play. Although you and I might not be architects willing to break with tradition to create a more unified theatergoing experience, we can still promote unity, speak up for equality, and fight for justice wherever we find ourselves.
We love that a show as revolutionary as Hamilton is housed in a theatre built on democratizing the theatergoing experience for all guests. This show promotes and celebrates the ideals our nation was founded on, which we need to remember now more than ever. As our revolutionary Declaration of Independence beautifully states, “all men are created equal” and “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
By: Kaleigh Steinorth and Teale Dvornik
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13: 34-35
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
Special thanks to the incredibly handsome and talented James Monroe Iglehart
Images by Jenny Anderson
