Revamped and revitalized, the historic Kings Theatre in Flatbush, one of New York’s five “Wonder Theaters,” is almost ready for show-time after a nearly 40-year slumber. Set to raise the curtains in early 2015, the newly renovated, 3,000-seat performing arts facility will hold its grand opening concert on February 3—starring none other than the legendary Diana Ross.
“One of the most beloved movie palaces of old New York, the Kings Theatre was once a centerpiece of the Flatbush community, and a major force in Brooklyn’s cultural landscape,” said Matthew Wolf, executive director of the Kings Theatre. “We are thrilled to welcome New Yorkers back to this historic space and to launch a new era of presenting live entertainment at the Kings with an opening performance by Diana Ross, one of the great living legends of American music.”
The space will reopen as New York’s newest major performing arts facility and Brooklyn’s biggest thanks to a $94 million renovation. Developers say that the theatre will maintain much of the old theater’s original architectural charm.
“This building has a lot of life and we were really called upon to bring that life back into this building,” Gilbane Building Co. executive Neil Heyman told members of the media earlier in the year.
As an internationally acclaimed performer whose career spans five decades, Ross, recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award and dubbed “Most Successful Female Vocalist of All Time” by the Guinness Book of Records, seems the perfect fit for the grand celebration.
“We are thrilled that Diana Ross will sing at the opening concert of the Kings Theatre; she is an amazing artist whose deep cultural impact on diverse audiences spanning decades complements the historic space and neighborhood brilliantly,” said Margaret Anadu, managing director in the Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group. “Kings Theatre will not only bring the community together for performances and cultural events, but will also create jobs and new opportunities for residents, and we are proud to have helped finance the restoration.”
“It is only fitting that the crown jewel of Flatbush, and one of the finest theatres in America, will have one of the greatest artists ever as its inaugural show,” added Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Carlo A. Scissura. “By bringing Broadway back to Brooklyn, The Kings Theatre will be a destination for people across the country–and Diana Ross is the perfect performer to raise the curtain.”
For more information, or to purchase tickets for An Evening with Diana Ross, visit http://www.kingstheatre.com/
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