Count Basie Theatre

Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, New Jersey

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. The Count Basie Theatre box office is the only official ticketing outlet for Count Basie Theatre presented shows.

History

The Carlton Theatre
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
Location:	99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, New Jersey
Coordinates:	40°20′56.4″N 74°4′12.36″W / 40.349°N 74.0701°W / 40.349; -74.0701Coordinates: 40°20′56.4″N 74°4′12.36″W / 40.349°N 74.0701°W / 40.349; -74.0701
Governing body:	Private
NRHP Reference#:	09001100
NJRHP #:	2042[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP:	December 18, 2009
Designated NJRHP:	May 20, 2009

Edward Franklin Albee II opened the Carlton on November 11, 1926 as one of a series of elaborate new Keith-Albee-Orpheum 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 4,000 people attended two shows that night, with crowds gathering two hours before the first performance. The Register^[specify] called the new theatre “…a marvel of beauty, convenience and comfort. Outside and inside it is a veritable and architectural triumph.”^{[cite this quote]}

The theatre was one of the highlights of nightlife in downtown Red Bank for many years.^{[by whom?]} Finally, in 1970, after the closing of the Strand, Palace, Empire, and Lyric Theatres, the last of the great local theatres went dark.^{[by whom?]}

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.

Shows

Besides Count Basie, legends such as James Brown and Tony Bennett, as well as headline performers such as Al Green, George Carlin, Boz Scaggs, Counting Crows, Olivia Newton-John, Brian Wilson, "Weird Al" Yankovic and Jon Stewart, have performed at the theatre. Jersey Shore legend Bruce Springsteen has made several surprise guest appearances. Cats 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. Kevin Smith's Sold Out: A Threevening with Kevin Smith was filmed at the Count Basie. The theatre hosted James Brown's last show before his death.

Community outreach

The Count Basie Performing Arts Academy, a.k.a. the Cool School, 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 were hosted by Joe Piscopo, while the May 2009 presentations were hosted by Siobhan Fallon Hogan. The 2010 awards were not hosted; announced host Big Joe Henry, a disk jockey for NJ 101.5 radio, pulled out due to continued disagreements between the NJEA, the union representing teachers in New Jersey, and the station. ^[2]

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.

References

1. ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Monmouth County". NJ DEP - Historic Preservation Office. March 1, 2011. p. 12. http://www.state.nj.us/dep/hpo/1identify/lists/monmouth.pdf. Retrieved April 26, 2011. 
2. ^ Basies Hostless After Protest Threat, redbankgreen.com, 2010-05-25. Retrieved 2010-12-17.

External links

• Official website
• An Article About The 2006 Holiday Season
• "The Buzz About the Basie" - January 6, 2008 article in Asbury Park Press discussing history of theatre