Broadhollow Players, arguably the best-known theatre company on Long Island, have added yet another playing space to their roster, giving them a total of four.
The company, which has venues in East Islip, Bethpage and Rockville Centre is now leasing the Maguire Theatre at State University of New York (SUNY) in Old Westbury. The new space has a proscenium stage with a hydraulic pit for an orchestra.
The first show, Alfred Uhry's Tony-winning The Last Night Ballyhoo, opened Oct. 9 and ends its scheduled run Oct. 24. The comedy-drama tells of a Southern Jewish family facing prejudice -- from even more upscale Jewish families, circa 1939 Atlanta.
As for the new space, Artistic director Patricia Zaback, who oversees all four Broadhollow venues, told Playbill On-Line, "The theatre is in fine condition and just needs a little sprucing up. It has 400 seats, all orchestra and terraced up, but we're not going to use all of them... more like 250... The theatre is air conditioned and handicap accessible." Zaback said Broadhollow will see how the first season goes before considering a long term lease on the Old Westbury venue.
Broadhollow's other playing spaces include Bethpage (199 seats), Molloy College in Rockville Center (299 seats) and the Bayway Performing Arts Center in East Islip (291 seats). All four venues are subscription based. Zaback wouldn't discuss subscribership but did say the new venue, located off Route 107, has already received, "a lot of community support." The first season at the Maguire will continue with Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice's Evita, Frank Loesser's Damon Runyon-based musical, Guys & Dolls; Arthur Miller's A View From The Bridge and Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King And I.
For tickets and information call (516) 581-2700.
-- By David Lefkowitz