Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater (commonly known as the Jones Beach Theater) is an outdoor
amphitheatre
An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
at
Jones Beach State Park in
Wantagh, New York
Wantagh ( ) is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, New York, United States. The population was 18,871 at the time of the 2010 census.
Wantagh is known as "The Gateway to Jones ...
. It is one of two major outdoor arenas in the
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass, at , and one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. The vast metropolitan area ...
, along with
PNC Bank Arts Center. The theater was designed to specifications provided by
Robert Moses, who created
Jones Beach State Park.
History
![Jones Beach Theater 1951](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Jones_Beach_Theater_1951.jpg)
Opened in June 1952 as the New Jones Beach Marine Stadium, the venue originally had 8,200 seats and hosted
musicals. Moses had several boxes designated for his own use, and Moses' friend
Guy Lombardo
Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977) was an Italian-Canadian-American bandleader, violinist, and hydroplane racer.
Lombardo formed the Royal Canadians in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert and Victor, and oth ...
performed often in the early years.
The opening show was the
operetta extravaganza ''
A Night in Venice'' by
Johann Strauss II, produced by film producer
Mike Todd
Michael Todd (born Avrom Hirsch Goldbogen; June 22, 1909 – March 22, 1958) was an American theater and film producer, best known for his 1956 production of '' Around the World in 80 Days'', which won an Academy Award for Best Picture. Act ...
, complete with floating gondolas and starring
Enzo Stuarti
Enzo Stuarti (born Lorenzo Scapone; March 3, 1919 – December 16, 2005) was an Italian American tenor and musical theater performer. After performing on Broadway under the stage names Larry Laurence and Larry Stuart, he changed his name again a ...
,
Thomas Hayward, Norwood Smith and
Nola Fairbanks
Nola Fairbanks (born Nola Jo Modine; December 10, 1924 – February 8, 2021) was an American actress. She was also the aunt of actor Matthew Modine.
Early life
Fairbanks was born Nola Jo Modine in Santa Paula, California, on December 10, 1924, t ...
. During one of these Lombardo performances, the early phonograph recording star
Billy Murray died of a heart attack in 1954.
Lombardo's final show was the 1977 production of ''
Finian's Rainbow'', with
Christopher Hewett in the title role. After Lombardo's death in 1977, the series resumed in 1978 with
''Annie Get Your Gun'', starring
Lucie Arnaz
Lucie Désirée Arnaz (born July 17, 1951) is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of actors Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
Early life
Arnaz was born at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of act ...
. Beginning in the 1980s, the primary focus of the venue would change to concerts.
In 1991 and 1992, under contract from concert promoter Ron Delsener, the theatre underwent an extensive renovation, adding a second level and increasing the capacity to 11,200 seats. The capacity was expanded again in 1998 to hold 15,000 seats.
The theater's original design featured a
moat; the stage was actually situated on Zachs Bay and was separated from the beach. Performers used an underwater tunnel that connected the main theatre to the stage or was brought to the stage by boat, and some scenes had floating scenery. Each night, Guy Lombardo would arrive in one of his luxurious speed boats, hop out and take his place in front of the orchestra and the show would start. The Guy Lombardo Orchestra would pass through the moat on a yacht during the intermissions and play tunes while floating in front of the audience. The moat was covered or filled in during the first renovation and seats were installed closer to the stage.
Today
In 2002, the company of clothing designer
Tommy Hilfiger
Thomas Jacob Hilfiger ( /hɪlˈfɪgər/; born March 24, 1951) is an American fashion designer and the founder of Tommy Hilfiger Corporation.
After starting his career by co-founding a chain of jeans/fashion stores called People's Place in upst ...
purchased the naming rights to the venue, renaming it "Tommy Hilfiger at Jones Beach Theater" for four years. On April 13, 2006,
Tommy Hilfiger's company, under new ownership, declined its option to keep the company's name on the theater, and naming rights were purchased by the camera company
Nikon
(, ; ), also known just as Nikon, is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging products. The companies held by Nikon form the Nikon Group.
Nikon's products include cameras, camera ...
, which renamed the venue "Nikon at Jones Beach Theater".
For a time the venue had a strict no-alcohol policy except in designated VIP boxes located behind the orchestra and the VIP tent area. Separate additional tickets are required to enter the popular VIP tent area. Starting in 2014, alcohol was available for sale to the general public during certain shows and, in 2015, was available for sale to the general public in regular concession stands during most shows.
In 2009, Jones Beach introduced The Bay Stage, which has a general admission capacity of 5,000. The performances are staged behind the concessions on the theater property. The theater property is located a short distance from the VIP area but The Bay Stage events cannot be viewed or heard from the VIP area.
In October 2012,
Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as ''Superstorm Sandy'') was an extremely destructive and strong Atlantic hurricane, as well as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record as measured by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spann ...
did major damage to the theater. Various structures were destroyed and much of the lower part of the arena was flooded, including the lower section of seats which were flooded more than halfway up. The venue reopened on May 31, 2013, after a $20 million rehabilitation project.
Starting January 2017, Jones Beach Theater will undergo a million dollar renovation plan, including energy-efficient LED lighting, more cafes, larger concourses for less crowding and more. Nikon's naming rights contract expired at the end of 2016, and in February 2017, New York health system
Northwell Health
Northwell Health is a nonprofit integrated healthcare network that is New York State's largest healthcare provider and private employer, with more than 81,000 employees.
The flagship hospitals of Northwell are North Shore University Hosp ...
purchased the naming rights to the venue, revealing the new name - "Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater." The three-year deal includes an option for two additional years.
Among the most frequent performers at Jones Beach Theater are
Jimmy Buffett, who has played the venue 30 times,
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...
, and
Aerosmith, who have played the venue 21 times.
See also
*
List of contemporary amphitheatres
This is a list of Amphitheatre#Modern amphitheatres, amphitheatres in use today.
})
,
, align="right", 3,000
, -
, Rhode Island
, Providence, Rhode Island, Providence
, Waterplace Park, Waterplace Park Amphitheatre
, Not covered
,
, -
, rowspan ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1952 establishments in New York (state)
Amphitheaters in the United States
Event venues established in 1952
Robert Moses projects
Tourist attractions in Nassau County, New York
Tourist attractions on Long Island
Wantagh, New York