Jujamcyn Theaters sets a new standard in comfort
Contact:
Rick Miramontez / Andy Snyder
rick@oandmco.com / andy@oandmco.com
212-695-7400
FOR RELEASE ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2012
NO IFS, ANDS OR BUTTS ABOUT IT…
THE AUGUST WILSON THEATRE
HAS THE MOST COMFORTABLE SEATS IN THE NATION!
JUJAMCYN THEATERS SETS A NEW STANDARD IN COMFORT
AS THE AUGUST WILSON BECOMES THE FIRST AMERICAN THEATRE
TO INSTALL REVOLUTIONARY PROBAX® SEATING
New York, NY – Last night, American theatergoers experienced for the first time the comfort of the revolutionary ProBax® seating technology, when Jujamcyn Theaters unveiled the August Wilson Theatre’s brand new seats. Setting a new standard in comfort, the Broadway house — currently home to the smash hit Jersey Boys — is the first American theater to utilize this ergonomic seating. Using dual density foams to encourage an anatomically correct posture, the patented ProBax® cushions reduce back ache and muscle fatigue from sitting. In a theatrical setting, they allow the audience to focus more freely on the show, while reducing the need to shift and fidget. Also, by encouraging a more upright posture, they allow for more comfortable leg space. Widely used in the automotive industry, and in select theaters abroad, this cutting-edge technology had never been used in a North American entertainment venue until now.
“We are constantly striving to create truly remarkable experiences for our audiences,” said Jujamcyn Theaters’ president Jordan Roth, “and what better way to enhance their enjoyment of the show than by helping them feel super-comfortable while they watch it. Now our only concern is if our guests are so comfortable they don’t want to get out of these delicious seats for the nightly standing ovation!”
“We are delighted to break into the North American entertainment business at this leading Broadway theatre,” commented Ian Moore, NuBax CEO, owners of the ProBax® technology. “As we’ve proven in the UK, theaters are an ideal application for this technology because many of the benefits that ProBax® cushions offer address common complaints specific to auditorium seating.”
About Jujamcyn Theaters: Jujamcyn Theaters, founded in 1956, owns and operates five theaters on Broadway – the St. James, Al Hirschfeld, August Wilson, Eugene O'Neill, and Walter Kerr. Its current shows include The Book of Mormon, Jersey Boys, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and On A Clear Day You Can See Forever. Jordan Roth, Paul Libin and Jack Viertel are the company's President, Executive Vice President and Senior Vice President, respectively. Jordan Roth and Rocco Landesman are Jujamcyn's principals. Among the many shows which Jujamcyn has produced or presented are: American Idiot, Angels in America, Big River, Caroline or Change, City of Angels, Curtains, Death of a Salesman, Fela!, The Full Monty, Doubt, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Grand Hotel, Grease!, Grey Gardens, Guys & Dolls, Gypsy, Hair, Into the Woods, Jelly's Last Jam, A Little Night Music, Love! Valour! Compassion!, M. Butterfly, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Moon Over Buffalo, Nine, The Producers, Proof, The Secret Garden, Smokey Joe's Cafe, Spring Awakening, Sweeny Todd, Take Me Out, Tommy, The Weir and six plays by August Wilson.
About NuBax: NuBax Ltd (www.nubax.com) is a private UK company owning all patents and rights to the ProBax® technology. ProBax® uses specifically located foam inserts of a precise geometric shape to encourage an anatomically correct posture in the seat occupant, removing the slumped posture often seen in foam-based seats. This in turn leads to reduced back ache and lowered muscle fatigue. Clinically proven improvements in blood and oxygen flow as a result of these postural changes help aid concentration levels. Above all the technology dramatically increases the comfort experience for the seat user. ProBax® has won European Innovation Awards and requires no changes to the seat frame or design. The seat is supplied from existing manufacturers – in the case of the August Wilson Theatre, Irwin Seating of Grand Rapids – using standard materials. In addition to the dramatic increase in comfort, the ProBax® seat cushions last longer than average theatre seats.
About the August Wilson Theatre: Designed by architects C. Howard Crane, Kenneth Franzheim, and Charles Bettis, the August Wilson Theatre first opened in 1925 as The Guild Theatre, named for its founding company, The Theater Guild. In 1943, the Theater Guild was forced to relinquish control of the theater, and it was then leased as a radio station to WOR-Mutual Radio until 1950, when it was purchased by the federally-funded American National Theater and Academy (ANTA) and renamed The ANTA. The ANTA underwent a major renovation, in which its seating capacity was increased to over 1,200 and its interior was stripped of its original Florentine detailing. In 1981, after a string a flops, the theater was purchased by Jujamcyn and renamed the Virginia, after Jujamcyn Board member Virginia McKnight Binger. Under Jujamcyn’s control, the theater underwent a multimillion dollar interior renovation. Completed in 1995, the renovation reproduced as many of the theater’s original design features as possible. On October 16, 2005, just fourteen days after the death of American playwright August Wilson, the theater was renamed in his honor. The occasion marked the first time a Broadway theatre was named in honor of an African American. The theater now features a permanent gallery exhibit devoted to August Wilson’s monumental ten-play cycle. Currently home to the smash hit Jersey Boys (the longest running show in Jujamcyn Theaters’ history), the theater has housed productions including Caesar and Cleopatra; Pygmalion; Major Barbara; Green Grow The Lilacs; Mourning Becomes Electra; And Stars Remain; The Merchant of Yonkers; Ah, Wilderness!; The House of Bernarda Alba, Golden Boy; Seventh Heaven; The Skin of Our Teeth; Say, Darling; A Man for All Seasons; Big Fish, Little Fish; Blues for Mr. Charlie; The Owl and the Pussycat; The Royal Hunt of the Sun; Maggie Flynn; Our Town; Harvey; Purlie; Different Times; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; Summer Brave; Bubbling Brown Sugar; First Monday in October; Night and Day; The Suicide; Annie; Copperfield; On Your Toes; Wild Honey; Carrie – The Musical; City of Angels; Jelly's Last Jam; My Fair Lady; Smokey Joe's Café; The Wild Party; Flower Drum Song; The Crucible; Little Shop of Horrors; and Little Women.
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