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Rick Miramontez / Amanda Meyer
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE

CIVILIAN HOTEL

UNVEILS ART EXHIBITION BY

TEN-TIME TONY AWARD^®-WINNER

TOMMY TUNE

IN COLLABORATION WITH

TONY AWARD^®-WINNING DESIGNER

AND FAMED ARCHITECT

DAVID ROCKWELL

PHOTOS HERE

New York, NY (October 12, 2023) –– Today, Rockwell Group and CIVILIAN Hotel announced the installation of a new art exhibition by 10-time Tony Award-winning artist Tommy Tune, featuring his acrylic-on-oil canvas works, as a new addition for its theater-inspired Olio Collection.

Tune’s art pieces, titled “Self Portrait” feature seven original works on canvas and “Flight,” present four original works on paper.

Tune said of his exhibit: “I love to paint. If you can be in a constant state of creativity, that’s the dream. Whether it’s audiences inside a theatre, or guests of CIVILIAN’s masterfully curated hotel, I strive to activate the imagination with my art.”

David Rockwell, the architect and creative visionary behind CIVILIAN’s theater-focused concept and Olio Collection, added, “I’ve always wanted to work with Tommy Tune. A true Broadway legend. His brush strokes are as theatrical and imaginative as his stage work.”

CIVILIAN // THEATRE DISTRICT, NYC

Additional images here.

CIVILIAN is a bold new hotel concept by Jason Pomeranc — founder of the SIXTY Collective, the international hospitality company behind Sixty Hotels. The debut outpost from a growing brand, CIVILIAN merges accessible luxury, functionality, and high design with a focus on convenience and bespoke experiences for a modern traveler.

Designed by renowned architect David Rockwell and Rockwell Group, CIVILIAN boasts 203 charming and fully equipped accommodations, efficient in both their form and function. Evoking a vintage dressing room, and a nod to the surrounding neighborhood, each space is punctuated with deep accent colors, luxurious linens and tactile fabrics, as well as curated artwork and amenities. The hotel boasts of three floors of food and beverage opportunities to enjoy by Carver Road Hospitality. Rosevale Kitchen and Cocktail Room brings a modern interpretation of a classic New York eatery, along with a secret garden accessed only from a concealed entry point. Rosevale Cocktail Room and the Blue Room offers an extensive list of specialty Broadway inspired cocktails and handcrafted drinks, as well as the largest collection of vermouth in the country with a bespoke collection of Theatre artifacts curated by the American Theatre Wing. The rooftop bar, Starchild, has a retractable ceiling and striking panoramic views of the city open all year round with late night cocktail service. civilianhotel.com.

CIVILIAN donates a portion of its fees to American Theatre Wing to help in its mission of supporting the theatrical art-form, with an ongoing partnership.

Through a powerful suite of programs that address all aspects of the national theatre ecology, The American Theatre Wing encourages the discovery of theatre by people of all ages, nurtures talent on stage and off, creates pathways for success for students and young professionals, and encourages the development of the art form itself by recognizing and supporting innovative and excellent work with awards and grants. For more information, visit AmericanTheatreWing.org.

CIVILIAN’S OLIO COLLECTION

CIVILIAN is designed to celebrate its Broadway location by paying homage to the creative contributions of New York’s theatrical artists. The jewel of the hotel is the Olio Collection, a theater-focused curated art exhibition with permanent and rotating artifacts, original works, and archival photography. Over 350 pieces of art – including sketches, models, photographs, props, costumes, murals, and custom furnishings – are located throughout the public spaces and guest rooms – representing 100 years of Broadway history. The work displayed has been lent by collectors and archivists, and — in many cases — the artists who created it.

Guests enter CIVILIAN’s lobby through a discreet side stage-inspired door into a runway-like vestibule with black and white photography by Little Fang, a husband-and-wife photography team known for their Broadway and opening night portraits. The photographs feature architectural details from theater facades, grounding the hotel in a sense of place. Marquee lights envelope the vestibule. Velvet-draped walls and vintage theater chairs evoke the ritual of leaving the bustling street behind for a night on Broadway.

In the restaurant, 41 custom sconces feature sketches, each depicting a different Broadway theater, by an expansive list of prominent set designers including historic sketches by Tony Walton and contemporary drawings by designers, such as Es Devlin, Mimi Lien, Clint Ramos, and Anna Louizos. Inspired by the theater drawings found in a Playbill, Rockwell Group reached out to each designer personally, and while the sketches highlight each artist’s individual style, together they create a cohesive family. An Art Deco-inspired font created by Rockwell Group’s Graphics team reveals the name of each theater and artist below the sconces.

On the second floor, the hotel bar features an inaugural exhibition paying homage to Company, George Furth and Stephen Sondheim’s quintessential musical comedy about life in New York City. Curators Christine Jones, Clint Ramos and Jules Fisher asked artists and designers, professionals and students alike, to submit a work inspired by lyrics from the show.

A custom brass and glass vitrine displays scenic models of current productions on Broadway. Pieces include set models of Moulin Rouge by Derek McLane, The Piano Lesson by Beowulf Boritt and Funny Girl by David Zinn.

The vitrine’s arched display window is a motif repeated throughout the hotel, inspired by traditional theater architecture. Photographs of Broadway hits, selected by Sara Krulwich from her vast portfolio for The New York Times, frame the bar at Rosevale Cocktail Room.

Vitrines in the Broadway Blue Room, a more private, intimate lounge located at the back of the bar, house a rotating exhibit of one-of-a-kind theater ephemera co-curated by David Rockwell and Rachel Hauck, Tony-award-winning scenic designer of Hadestown. Iconic show props and costume pieces on display celebrate original Broadway productions and revivals, including recent Tony Award-winning hits such as Into The Woods, MJ, Six, Harry Potted and the Cursed Child, Kinky Boots, and more.

In the elevators, guests are immersed in the world of costume design. Custom Maya Romanoff wallcoverings, produced exclusively for the hotel, feature original sketches by costume designers Paul Tazewell (Hamilton), Isabel and Ruben Toledo (After Midnight), and William Ivey Long (Chicago). As guests find their way to their rooms, custom Maya Romanoff wallcoverings lead the way in rich jewel tones. Here, we abstracted details from costume designs by Isabel and Ruben Toledo (After Midnight) and William Ivey Long (Beetlejuice and Hairspray). The four wall coverings alternate throughout the guestroom floors.

Framed black and white photographs sourced from the New York Public Library archives as well as contemporary theatrical photographers line each corridor. Showcasing the life of Broadway shows from rehearsals to backstage to opening night, photographs range from Helen Hayes playing ping pong backstage during the 1934 production of Mary of Scotland to rehearsals of The Wiz in 1974.

The guestrooms celebrate the artistic process with framed sketches and process materials by Broadway creatives, including Derek McLane (Moulin Rouge), Christine Jones (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child),and Wilson Chin (The Secret Garden). Platform four-poster beds feature Jim Thompson pillows with abstracted patterns by costume designers Jeff Mahshie and David Zinn.

Starchild Rooftop Bar displays a site-specific mural by costume and scenic designer David Zinn, inspired by Studio 54 —the nightclub turned Broadway theater.

ABOUT TOMMY TUNE

Tommy Tune is one of the country’s most prolific performer/director/choreographers and is celebrating his golden decade on the great American stage. He has received 10 Tony Awards, which includes the 2015 Tony for Life Achievement in the Theatre and the only person in theatrical history to win in four different categories, and to win the same two Tony Awards two years in a row. Tommy has also received The National Medal of Arts, 8 Drama Desk Awards, 2 Obie Awards, 3 Astaire Awards, and multiple Life Time Achievement Awards including the Society of Directors and the Choreographers’ George Abbott Award.

A native Texan, Mr. Tune began his career as a dancer in the Broadway shows Baker Street,  A Joyful Noise and How Now Dow Jones. He has received Tony Awards for The Will Rogers Follies (Direction and Choreography), Grand Hotel (Direction and Choreography), My One and Only (Actor in a Musical and Choreography) Nine (Direction), A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine(Choreography) and Seesaw (Featured Actor in a Musical). Tune received two Tony nominations (Direction and Choreography) for The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas. Tommy has been invited to sing and dance for three United States Presidents, the Queen of England and the Royal Family of Monaco.

Film credits include Hello Dolly, The Boy Friend, and Mimi Bluette…fiore del mio giardino, and in 1999, he made his Las Vegas debut as the star of EFX at the MGM Grand Hotel.  Tune is the recipient of the National Medal Of Arts, the highest honor for artistic achievement given by the President of the United States, was honored with his own star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame and inducted into The Theater Hall of Fame by Gwen Verdon.

In 2009 the New York Landmarks Conservancy designated Mr. Tune as a Living Landmark. In early 2015 Tune received rave reviews for his tap dancing and singing role in the Encores! production of Lady, Be Good! at New York City Center. In addition to touring with Chita Rivera in Chita & Tune, Tommy also toured the country in his one-man show, Tommy Tune Tonight! in 2018.

ABOUT ROCKWELL GROUP

Based in New York with offices in Los Angeles and Madrid, Rockwell Group is an interdisciplinary architecture and design firm that emphasizes innovation and thought leadership in every project. Founded by David Rockwell, FAIA, and led by David and partners Shawn Sullivan and Greg Keffer, the 300-person firm merges performance and architecture to create extraordinary experiences and built environments across the globe. Inspired by theater, technology, and high-end craft, the firm creates a unique narrative for each project, ranging from restaurants, hotels, cultural and educational institutions, airport terminals, to festivals, museum exhibitions, and Broadway sets. Projects include Nobu Hotels and restaurants worldwide; the Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York (Restaurant and Lobby Interior Architect); W Hotels worldwide; 555 Pennsylvania Avenue for Johns Hopkins University (Washington, D.C. and Baltimore); Coqodaq (New York); One Madison Avenue (New York); Zaytinya (New York); 550 Madison (New York); and set designs for more than 100 productions, both on and off- Broadway.  Honors and recognition include the 2016 Tony Award for Best Scenic Design for She Loves Me; two Emmy Awards for production design for the Oscars (2021 and 2010); the AIANY President’s Award; the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award; and the Presidential Design Award.

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