Highly Anticipated Reopening of Central Park’s Delacorte Theater Arrives
Following a two-year $85 million renovation, The Delacorte Theater reopened on Thursday, August 7th with a performance of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. The open-air amphitheater operated by arts nonprofit The Public Theater offers free Shakespeare in the Park productions. Initially opened in 1962, the renovation led by Financial District-based Ennead Architects is the first major update to the structure since 1999. The most noticeable change is the theater’s façade, which now “features tongue-and-grove redwood sourced from 25 former city water towers,” replacing the former “cedar shiplap that had faded from years in the elements.” In addition, a few dozen seats were removed, enabling the installation of 1,864 roomier seats of which nearly three dozen are dedicated to visitors who are mobility impaired. Other improvements benefit the performers, such as the addition of six indoor dressing rooms that can accommodate more than 31 performers – replacing the outdoor areas used previously. A portion of the project’s financing came from private fundraising by The Public Theater, and $42 million was provided by the city government, the City Council, and the Manhattan Borough President’s office according to reported statements by theater officials.